A prosecution witness told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday how hundreds of millions of naira allegedly diverted from an account of the Kogi State Government House were used to acquire high-end properties in choice areas of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Ahmed Abubakar, who is an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), appeared as the 17th prosecution witness in the money laundering trial of Ali Bello, the Chief of Staff to the Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo.
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Mr Bello, a nephew of the immediate past Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, is facing prosecution alongside Dauda Sulaiman and one Abdulsalami Hudu, a former cashier of the Kogi State Government House said to be at large.
EFCC is prosecuting the defendants on 16 counts of money laundering involving alleged diversion of over N10 billion from the treasury of Kogi State during the tenure of Governor Bello, who himself faces criminal trials before two different courts over charges of diversion of funds beloning to the Kogi State Government.
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The anti-graft agency accused the younger Bello and his co-defendant of misappropriation and money laundering, involving alleged withdrawal of over N10 billion from the Kogi State treasury and delivering it to a Bureau de Change operator, Rabiu Tafada, in Abuja, to keep or convert to foreign currencies for personal use.
EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, shared a statement with PREMIUM TIMES highlighting Monday’s testimony of the 17th prosecution witness.
Testimony on different counts
The witness, Mr Abubakar, who is a Deputy Superintendent of the EFCC, testified on Monday that the first defendant, Ali Bello, used N900 million to acquire a property located at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama, Abuja, Spring Hall School.
“My Lord, the property belongs to a Honourable from Bauchi State and was put up for sale for that amount. The first defendant procured the services of a lawyer, Barrister Ramalan, to broker the transaction. Barrister Ramalan carried out the instruction as directed by the first defendant, and the property was eventually purchased.
“The payment was made in cash at the office of the Bureau de Change in Zone 4, Abuja, after the naira equivalent was converted to dollars. That was the finding of our investigation regarding the transaction,” the witness said.
The witness further stated that the funds used for the purchase were withdrawn at different times from the “Adminstration Account” of the Kogi State Government House.
When shown Exhibit H by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the witness confirmed that it was a Deed of Assignment between Pauchi Ventures Nigeria Limited and Y3 Nigeria Limited.
Asked to identify Y3 Nigeria Limited, the witness explained:
“My Lord, Y3 is the company provided by the first defendant to his lawyer for the preparation of the Deed of Assignment.”
Moving to count four of the charge, Mr Oyedepo said the defendant allegedly used N920 million to acquire a property located at No. 2 Justice Chukwudi (or Oguta) Street, Asokoro, Abuja, funds he reasonably ought to have known were proceeds of unlawful activity.
Responding, the witness confirmed that the EFCC identified the property during investigations.
“My lord, the transaction was brokered by the former Governor of Kogi State, His Excellency Yahaya Bello, himself. He approached a contractor friend who had recently acquired the property through Wastle Motors, owned by Alhaji Sa’id Dantsoho.
“They agreed on a price, and the owner accessed a facility from Access Bank. It was agreed that the property would be sold at the same amount it was acquired. Payment was to be made ‘in kind’ because His Excellency had just assumed office and promised to patronise the contractor during his administration.
“An account was provided into which loan repayments would be made. During the period, there were numerous cash deposits from Lokoja and transfers from the Bureau de Change operated by Rabiu Tafada, including through his company, Busynet. All BDC transfers were carried out on the instruction of the first defendant, Ali Bello. That is how the property was paid for, My Lord,” the witness said.
He also said the total facility collected as of 21 March 2018, stood at N808,698,263.29 (about N808.7 million).
Mr Abubakar further told the court that on 8 April 2020, multiple cash deposits were made at the Lokoja branch of Access Bank towards servicing the loan.
He listed the deposits as follows:
• Victor Ashimo – N3,650,000
• Surajo Samson – N7,700,000
• Sikiru Lariyat – N6,650,000
• Yusuf Mustapha – N6,800,000
• Nasiru Mustapha – N6,500,000
• Adamu Mamman – N6,700,000
• Shehu Afeez – N9,500,000
• Musa Umar – N9,600,000
• Mohammed Baba – N8,900,000
• Victor Obafemi – N8,400,000
• Olushola Hakeem – ₦9,200,000
• Yahaya Ahmed – N7,600,000
• Tony Olaoluwa – N6,800,000
• Habib Sulaiman – ₦8,200,000
• Yakubu Hamid – N7,500,000
• Sunday Sylvester – N6,900,000
• Aminu Sani – N8,700,000
• Job Awe – N9,500,000
• Emmanuel Christopher – N6,600,000
• Abdulsalami Aliyu – N8,300,000
• Yunusa I. Isiyak – N7,000,000
• Sulaiman Alhassan – N7,300,000
• Yakubu Idris – N8,900,000
• Jami’u Sule – N8,100,000
• Ismaila Nasiru – N7,900,000
• Yusuf Usman – ₦8,500,000
• Obafemi Ajayi – N8,800,000
• Abdullahi Sani – N7,800,000
When asked if all the payments were made in cash, the witness replied, “Yes, My lord.”
He further stated that the source of the funds used to service the loan was the Administration Account of the Kogi State Government House.
On count five, the witness testified that N170 million was used to acquire a property located on Marsin Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, directly behind the residence of former Governor Yahaya Bello at No. 9 Benghazi Street.
READ ALSO: Yahaya Bello’s Trial: How deposits from Kogi LGs were disbursed to private accounts – Witness
“Our investigation revealed that the funds were withdrawn from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account. The transaction was brokered by the first defendant in conjunction with his late BDC associate, Murtala Maigari,” he said. “The property owner, a retired Deputy Comptroller of Prisons, Ishaya Adamu Jagaba, supplied an account into which N100 million was paid, while N70 million was converted to United States dollars.”
Regarding count six, Mr Abubakar said the defendants aided the use of N100 million to acquire a property at No. 1773 Guzape Street, Abuja, with funds traced to the Kogi State Government House Administration Account through a bureau de change.
On count seven, he confirmed the acquisition of a property at No. 176, Plot 4882, Lome Street, Wuse, Abuja, also funded from the same government account.
On count eight, the witness told the court that N66 million was paid for a property at Plot 739 Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja, using cash withdrawn from the Administration Acccount of the Kogi State Government House, stressing that the payment was not made on behalf of the Kogi State Government.
The witness had earlier testified on how hundreds of millions of naira were moved from the Administration Account of the Kogi State Government House and security votes to purchase properties and renovate the family house of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
Trial judge James Omotosho scheduled further hearing for 16 to 19 February.
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