By Wilfred Francis
A Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has ruled that extra-judicial statements made by Ali Bello and Dauda Sulaiman are admissible as evidence in an ongoing alleged ₦10.2 billion fraud case. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Bello—reported to be a relative of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello—and Sulaiman on a 16-count amended charge bordering on alleged misappropriation and money laundering.
According to a statement by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the court conducted a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statements were made voluntarily. The defendants had opposed their admission, alleging they were obtained under duress. However, Justice Omotosho ruled that the statements were given voluntarily, noting that the defendants’ legal counsel was present during the process.
“It is clear that the defendants had their counsel present… and the statements were obtained voluntarily,” the judge said, citing provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. The court subsequently admitted the statements into evidence in the main trial.The case has been adjourned to April 21 and 24, 2026, for the prosecution to close its case.
