Newly sworn-in Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has come under heavy criticism following the appointment of Ali Bello, a nephew to former Governor, Yahaya Bello, as the Chief of Staff.
The new CoS to the Kogi governor is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 18 counts charges bordering on money laundering and misappropriating Kogi State fund to the tune of about N3 billion.
The other defendants in the case are Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat and the immediate past Kogi First Lady, Rashida Bello.
The EFCC is prosecuting them in suit No ABJ/CR/573/2022 and they are facing charges of misappropriation and money laundering.
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According to a statement by EFCC in 2022, Bello and Sulaiman were remanded in prison pending the fulfilment of their bail conditions granted. The judge granted them bail in the sum of N1 billion each.
The defendants are accused of fraudulently withdrawing over N10 billion from the Kogi State treasury, which they allegedly delivered to a bureau de change operator, Rabiu Tafada, in Abuja, to keep or change to foreign currencies for personal gains.
Following the latest appointment, Nigerians have taken to social media to react.
@Spotlight_Abby wrote: “I wonder why some of you are complaining. Is the young man not eminently qualified according to the APC standards? What’s an APC chief of staff without criminal internship and some field experience?”
@FS_Yusuf_ wrote: “Yahaya Bello placed a subservient loyalist as Governor and have his cousin (with fraud case N3 Billion) Chief of Staff. Yahaya Bello is still the Governor of Kogi State. Kogi “in the leg of God”
@firstladyship wrote: “Kogi state is the Wild West & the weakest link in Nigeria. They are the ones I pity the most. Yahaya Bello’s nephew with a case file with the EFCC, is now the chief of staff. The politicians are the reason the Naira will continue to crash against other currencies.”
@Mindset_Post wrote: “Yahaya Bello’s Nephew who was arrested by EFCC for N3 billion Fraud, is now the Chief of Staff to the New Governor of Kogi State”
@OjiUgo_nwa wrote: “From being docked and remanded in prison for N3bn fraud to becoming The Chief of Staff to the new Kogi State governor. Wonderful things are happening @von_Bismack remember I told you the new governor won’t be better right.”
@MO_Shaibu_ wrote: “Requirement for APC political appointments: Must be a CRIMINAL with at least one year experience, and must make it to EFCC book for looting related charges. Meet the new Kogi State chief of staff, Ali Bello.”
@aai_austin wrote: “A convict in February 2023. A chief of staff in January 2024. Is the Lord not working wonders in Kogi state? EFCC don turn blind eye because his name is not Emefiele.”
@LawrenceOkoroPG wrote: “Same person that was docked for N3bn Fraud by the EFCC in Feb 2023 is appointed Chief of staff to the Kogi State government 12 months later. Yet many are wasting in jail for doing nothing.”
