By Abiola Olawale
The woes of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello have continued to compound as the Federal Government has filed a fresh 16-count charge against him.
It was gathered that the charge filed before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja borders on criminal breach of trust to the tune of N110.4 billion.
The Federal Government, in the lawsuit, argued that the alleged breach of trust committed by Bello is contrary to Sections 96 and 311 of Penal Code Law Cap.89 Laws of Northern Nigeria, 1963 and punishable under Section 312 of the same law.
Also named as defendants in the suit are two officials of the Kogi State government, identified as Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Oricha.
The defendants were alleged to have used state funds from the Kogi state treasury to acquire properties in highbrow areas within the FCT and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Part of the charges read: “IN COUNT ONE of the charges alleges that Bello, Oricha and Hudu, sometime in 2016 in Abuja, agreed amongst themselves “to cause to be done an illegal
“Act to wit: criminal breach of trust in respect of 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)
“In COUNT TWO, the defendants were said to have used the total sum of N950 million in 2023, “for the acquisition of a property known as No: 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja”.
“COUNT THREE accused the defendants of using N100 million “for the acquisition of a property known as No: 1160 Cadastral Zone CO3, Gwarimpa, district, Abuja” in 2021.
“In COUNT FOUR, they were accused of using N920 million “for the acquisition of a property known as No: 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja” in 2020.
“In COUNT FIVE, the defendants allegedly used N170 million “for the acquisition of a property known as Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja” in 2022.
“In COUNT SIX, they allegedly used N100 million to purchase a property known as No: 1773 Guzape District, Abuja in 2018.
“In count seven, they allegedly used another N100 million “for the acquisition of a property known as No: A02/176 Block 488B, Lome Street, Wuse 1, Abuja” in 2020.
“In COUNT EIGHT, they were said to have in 2020, used N66 million “for the acquisition of a property known as No: 739 Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 at No. 13 Citiscape-Sharriff Plaza, Abuja”.
This is coming on the heels of earlier 19 count charges bordering on money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion, slammed on Yahaya Bello and other suspects by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
However, all efforts to arraign the former governor before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja have proved abortive as Bello continues to evade arrest.
