The trial of Ali Bello, nephew of the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court Abuja, continued on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with the 17th Prosecution Witness, PW17, Ahmed Audu Abubakar, telling the court how Bello utilised bureau-de-change, BDC to make monetary transfers to his cronies.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel and Director, Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness, informed the court that Bello, the first defendant in his extra-judicial statement admitted the inflows and outflow of funds through BDC.
“The second column shows that the utilisation of the funds in the BDC were carried out by the instruction of the first defendant, most of them are the cronies of the first defendant. In the extrajudicial statement that was taken he has already made a statement as to the inflows and the outflows,” he said.
When asked by the prosecution counsel to tell the court about the funds, the witness stated that the money spent was on behalf of Ali Bello and the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
“The spending of the money is for the first defendant and for the former governor. Some of the beneficiaries were the cronies of the first defendant. Some of the money was for payment for the first defendant or the former governor. We have Mother Care Welfare, an NGO belonging to the wife of the governor. We have Mumuni Benghazi, a resident of Benghazi Street, Wuse, Abuja.
I remember the payment of N100 million for the first defendant to Dantata. We have payment for one of the properties for N80 million.
“We have CI Automobiles, paid to CI Automobiles. The second payment for Dantata is N20 million to complete the N100 million. We have Sunny Benghazhi, N19 million, Mother Care Welfare is also here. Exhibit R and S. These are the statements of the defendant before my lord,” he said.
The PW17 was cross-examined by counsel to the first and second defendant Ahmed Raji, SAN and O. Jolaooyo, SAN, respectively
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Justice Omotosho, thereafter, adjourned the matter till May 6, 2026 for continuation of cross-examination.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Ali Bello, who is also the chief of staff to the governor of Kogi State governor, Usman Ododo, alongside Dauda Sulaiman on amended 16-count charge, bordering on misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of ₦10,270,556,800.00 (Ten Billion, Two Hundred and Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Fifty-six Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira).
