How Yahaya Bello Purchased Houses in Abuja, Dubai, With State Funds - EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, of misappropriating public funds to purchase properties in both the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and Abuja, Nigeria.

In a new 16-count indictment, it is alleged that Bello utilized over five million Dirhams to acquire a property located in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai. Furthermore, in the second count, Bello, along with Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, is accused of misusing a total of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) in 2023 for the purchase of a property situated at No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja, while having control over the state’s treasury. The EFCC has brought this new 16-count indictment against the former governor at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, alongside two co-defendants. The charges, referenced as CR/7781/2024, allege that Bello, Oricha, and Hudu misappropriated over N110 billion of public funds for the acquisition of various properties in Abuja and Dubai. Dated September 24 and filed on September 25 by the EFCC's legal representative, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the indictment accuses Bello and his co-defendants of criminal breach of trust, an offense under Section 312 of the Penal Code Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963. The first count states: "That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha, and Abdulsalami Hudu, at some point in 2016 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, conspired to commit an illegal act, specifically criminal breach of trust concerning the total sum of N110,446,470,089.00 (One Hundred and Ten Billion, Four Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Eighty-Nine Naira) entrusted to you." In the second count, it was alleged that at some point in 2023, in Abuja, while exercising control over the state’s treasury, the defendants improperly utilized a total amount of N950,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) for the purchase of a property located at No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja. In the eleventh count, the defendants were accused of using over Five million Dirhams to acquire a property situated in Khalifa, Municipality, Dubai. The fourteenth count states: “That you, Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha, and Abdulsalami Hudu, at some time in 2021, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, while having control over the state’s treasury, unlawfully transferred the total sum of $570,330.00 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty United States Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 held with TD Bank, United States of America.” The fifteenth count alleges that the defendants, at some point in 2021, in Abuja, while having control over the state’s treasury, unlawfully transferred the total sum of $556,265.00 (Five Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixty-Five United States Dollars) to account No. 4266644272 held with TD Bank, United States of America. Additionally, in the sixteenth count, the former governor was alleged to have, at some time between 2017 and 2018, in Abuja, unlawfully possessed the total sum of N677,848,000 (Six Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand Naira) that was obtained from Bespoque Business Solution Limited. As of now, no date has been set for the arraignment of the former governor regarding these new charges.