How Kogi Governor Ododo Picked Yahaya Bello’s Nephew Indicted By EFCC For N3billion Fraud As Chief Of Staff

Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has announced the appointment of Dr. Folashade Ayoade as the Secretary to the State Government.

Ayoade, was the SSG in the last eight years of the immediate past Governor, Yayaha Bello.

The governor also announced Ali Bello, a nephew to Yahaya Bello, as the Chief of Staff.

The new CoS to the Kogi governor is being prosecuted by Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 18 counts bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of about N3 billion.

The other defendants in the case are Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat and the Kogi First Lady, Rashida Bello.

The EFCC is prosecuting them in suit No ABJ/CR/573/2022.

They are facing charges of misappropriation and money laundering.

According to a statement by EFCC’s in 2022, 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.

One of the charges reads: “That you, ALI BELLO, DAUDA SULEIMAN AND ABDULSALAMI HUDU (NOW AT LARGE)between January and December, 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured RABIU USMAN TAFADA to take possession of the total sum of N5,865,756,800 (Five Billion, Eight Hundred and Sixty Five Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Six Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation from the treasury of Kogi State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (c), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.

Another count reads: “That you, ALI BELLO, DAUDA SULEIMAN AND ABDULSALAMI HUDU (NOW AT LARGE) between January and December 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court aided RABIU USMAN TAFADA to retain the total sum of N2,509,650,000.00 (Two Billion Five Hundred and Nine Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity to wit: Criminal Misappropriation from the treasury of Kogi State Government and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (a) 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act”.