Alleged N10 billion fraud: Kogi government distances self from Yahaya Bello’s nephew

The Kogi state government has denied any involvement with some people in the state arrested for alleged money laundering.

NewsWireNGR reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Thursday, arraigned Ali Bello, a nephew to the state governor, Yahaya Bello, for a N10 billion fraud.

EFCC spokesperson Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement on Thursday, that Mr Bello and was arraigned alongside another defendant before James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The other defendant was Dauda Sulaiman. Another defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu, the cashier of the Kogi State House Administration, was said to be at large.

They face 10 charges of misappropriation and money laundering.

According to the EFCC’s statement, Messrs Bello and Sulaiman were remanded in prison pending the fulfillment 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 (N10, 270,556,800), 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.

The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them by the EFCC.

Reacting to the development, Kogi Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, says the state government knows nothing about the alleged money laundering.

In a statement he issued in Lokoja, Fanwo denied any involvement of government or officials in the act.

“Let it be on record that no money belonging to the Kogi Government was laundered.

“For many years, Kogi has won awards as one of the most transparent state governments such that an anti-graft agency can use Kogi as an example of transparency and excellence,” he said.