Alleged N3Billion Fraud: I Exchanged Naira For Dollars For Yahaya Bello To Pay Children’s School Fees – BDC Operator

Jamilu Abdullahi, a Bureau de Change operator and the third prosecution witness in the trial of Ali Bello, testified in a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that agents of the Kogi State Government delivered funds to him for the payment of school fees for the daughters of former Governor Yahaya Bello.

Ali Bello is a nephew of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who is facing trial for N80.2 billion fraud.

In a cross-examination by Ali Bello’s counsel, A.M. Aliyu SAN, Abdullahi affirmed that a dollar equivalent in cash was exchanged for each tranche.

"I made it clear that it was cash that was brought to my office for payment of the school fees," he said.

An effort by the defence to evaluate a WhatsApp conversation between the witness and the second defendant, Abba Adaudu, as evidence, was objected to by prosecution counsel Abbas Mohammed, who argued that the copy of the WhatsApp conversation was unknown to the court.

Consequently, the defence requested an adjournment to enable it to furnish the prosecution with the WhatsApp chat.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu granted the request and adjourned the matter till November 6, 2024 for continuation of trial.

Ali Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside Adaudu, Yakubu Adabenege and Iyada Sadat on 18 counts bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of funds to the tune of over N3 billion.

In April, Ola Olukoyede, EFCC Chairman confirmed SaharaReporters’ report that Yahaya Bello withdrew $720,000 from the state’s funds for his child’s school fees in advance.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Olukoyede said Bello transferred the amount from the state’s funds to a bureau de exchange operator for the payment of tuition fees.

“A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to bureau de change and used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance.

“Over $720,000 in anticipation that he was going to leave the government house. In a poor state like Kogi, you want me to close my eyes under the guise of ‘I’m being used’. Used by who? At this stage of my life,” the EFCC chairman said.