Rashida Bello the First Lady of Kogi State and four others has been charged by the The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, February 8, for N3billion fraud.
Rashida, who’s said to be at large, was arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court in Abuja alongside Ali Bello, a nephew of her husband, governor Yahaya Bello, and three others.
EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement said: “Bello was docked alongside Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello (at large) on 18 count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of N3,081,804,654.00.
Bello, Adaudu, Adabenege, Sadat and Rashida (at large) sometime in June, 2020 in Abuja procured E- Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 which sum they reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity.
Similarly, the defendants sometime in November, 2021 in Abuja procured E-Traders International Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330 to an account domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, which sum they reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to with: criminal misappropriation, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them.
In view of their pleas, Prosecuting Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to give a trial date to enable the prosecution to prove its case.
Justice Egwuatu adjourned the case till 13 February, 2023 and ordered that the defendants be remanded in a Correctional Centre pending the determination of the bail application.”