The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has closed its case against Ali Bello, a nephew of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, and his co-defendant, Dauda Suleiman, in an alleged ₦10.2 billion fraud and money laundering trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Ali Bello, who currently serves as Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, and Suleiman are standing trial before Justice James Omotosho on an amended 16-count charge bordering on alleged misappropriation and money laundering involving ₦10,270,556,800.
The anti-graft agency closed its case on Tuesday after calling 17 witnesses and tendering several documentary exhibits in support of the charge.
At the resumed proceedings, the final prosecution witness, Ahmed Audu Abubakar, an investigator with the EFCC, completed his testimony under re-examination by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Commission.
During the hearing, the prosecution tendered four statements made by Abdulsalam Hudu, a cashier in the Kogi State Government House Administration. The statements were dated August 7, August 14, September 3 and September 24, 2024.
The defence did not object to their admissibility, and the court admitted the documents in evidence as Exhibits B1, B2, B3 and B4.
Oyedepo thereafter directed the witness to portions of the statements relating to a ₦300,000 payment allegedly made by a bureau de change operator to Hudu.
Reading from the August 14, 2024 statement, the witness told the court that the money was received from Ali Bello for the purchase of books meant to support a community school project.
After the witness concluded his evidence and both prosecution and defence teams indicated that they had no further questions, he was discharged.
Oyedepo then informed the court that the EFCC had closed its case, having presented 17 witnesses.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, counsel to the first defendant, A. M. Aliyu, SAN, and counsel to the second defendant informed the court of their intention to file a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution had not established a case requiring the defendants to enter a defence.
The defence asked for four days to file the no-case submission, while the prosecution requested three days to respond. Defence counsel also sought an additional 24 hours to reply on points of law.
Justice Omotosho granted the requests and adjourned the matter until June 15, 2026, for adoption of written addresses on the no-case submission.
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