Alleged ₦10bn Kogi Fraud: Ali Bello loses in trial- within- trial

As Court Affirms Voluntariness of Defendants’ Statements

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, affirmed the voluntariness of the extra-judicial statements of Ali Bello and Dauda Sulaiman.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Ali Bello, a nephew of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, alongside Dauda Sulaiman, on a 16-count amended charge bordering on alleged misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of ₦10,270,556,800.00.

The trial-within-trial was conducted to ascertain the voluntariness or otherwise of the extra-judicial statements made by the defendants during investigation.

The defendants had objected to the prosecution’s move to tender the eight statements, claiming that they were put under duress and threatened before making them.

In his ruling on Wednesday,  Justice Omotosho held that it was evident that the defendants had their counsel present when the statements were taken, noting that the investigative team allowed the defendants’ counsel to be present and to endorse the statements as confessional and voluntary.

“It is clear that the defendants had their counsel present during the taking of both statements, and the investigative team allowed the counsel to the defendants to be present and even endorsed some of the statements that they were confessional and were obtained voluntarily in his presence. That is therefore in compliance with the provisions of Section 15(4) and 17(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015,” he said.

“Consequently, the statements of the defendants are admissible in evidence, as they were made voluntarily”,  he added.

The judge subsequently admitted statements of the first defendant, earlier marked as Exhibits TWA–TWA5 during the trial-within-trial, as Exhibits R2–R5 in the main trial. Similarly, the statements of the second defendant, marked as Exhibits TWB and TWB1, were admitted as Exhibits S and SW1 in the main trial.

Justice Omotosho thereafter adjourned the matter till April 21 and 24, 2026, for the prosecution to close its case.