The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Aliyu, said to be a nephew of Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to a statement released on Thursday by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, Aliyu was arraigned, together with one Dauda Suleiman, before Justice James Omotosho, on a 10-count charge of alleged misappropriation and money laundering.
Uwujaren noted that Aliyu and Suleiman together with a cashier at the state house, Abdulsalami Hudu, withdrew N10.2 billion from the coffers of the state for personal use.
He noted that Hudu has already fled.
The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges, while the case was adjourned till February 6,2023.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Ali Bello, Dauda Sulaiman and Abdulsalam 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.”
