Alleged N10b Kogi Fraud: Court Sets March 18 for Ruling in Trial-within-Trial

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, February 27, 2026, adjourned till March 18, 2026 for ruling in a trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of the extrajudicial statements of Ali Bello, nephew of the former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello and Dauda Sulaiman.

Ali Bello, who is also the Chief of Staff to the governor of Kogi State and Sulaiman are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on an amended 16-count charge bordering on misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of ₦10,270,556,800.

While the prosecution insisted that the defendants made their statements in the Commission under caution and without let or hindrance and in the presence of their counsel, the defendants claimed that the threat of being compelled to sit on an electric chair in the EFCC by the Commission’s officers made them to volunteer their statements in the Commission, thus prompting the sub-trial to determine who is on the side of truth and the admissibility of the defendants’ statements in court.

Prosecution counsel, A.O Muhammed, while adopting his written address stated that the prosecution considered it important to inform the court that the statements were made voluntarily, noting that the court admitted in evidence the extrajudicial statement of the second defendant, marked TWT B and TWT B1.

A paragraph in the prosecution’s written address states that “the defence was neither able to discredit their testimony nor elicit fact that sustained the contention of the second defendant that the extra-judicial statements of the defendant were not voluntarily obtained.”

Muhammed further submitted that, “My lord, the law is that the onus to prove that the statement of the defendant was obtained voluntarily is on the prosecution, and that once the prosecution discharges that burden, the first defendant elected to more or less rest his case on that of the prosecution”

“It is our humble submission that the contention of the defendant that the extrajudicial statements were not voluntarily made was a mere afterthought and ought to be discountenanced by this honourable court.”

On their part, counsel to the first and second defendants, K. C. Wisdom and Olusegun Jolaawo, SAN, adopted their written addresses and prayed the court to reject the evidence sought to be tendered and to hold that the extrajudicial statements of the defendants were not voluntarily obtained.

Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter till March 18, 2026 for ruling.