A prosecution witness on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how hundreds of millions of naira allegedly diverted from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account were used to buy luxury properties in prime districts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Testifying before Justice James Omotosho, PW17, Deputy Superintendent of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), DCE Ahmed Audu Abubakar, outlined findings from investigations into the alleged misappropriation of public funds under the control of the Kogi State Government House.
The EFCC is prosecuting Ali Bello, Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo and nephew of former governor Yahaya Bello, alongside Dauda Sulaiman and former Government House cashier Abdulsalami Hudu, who is currently at large. They face a 16-count amended charge of misappropriation and money laundering involving over ₦10.2 billion.
Abubakar explained that the funds were reportedly withdrawn from the state treasury and handed to a Bureau de Change operator in Abuja for conversion to foreign currencies, which were then used for personal acquisitions.
Among the transactions highlighted, investigators found that a high-value property in Maitama was purchased for approximately ₦900 million. The property, owned by a serving Bauchi State official, was acquired after the first defendant engaged a lawyer to facilitate the deal, with payments made in cash after naira was converted to dollars at the Bureau de Change.
Another property in Asokoro, valued at about ₦920 million, was allegedly acquired through a more complex arrangement involving the former Kogi State governor. The transaction included a bank loan, which was repaid through cash deposits and transfers traced to Lokoja and the same Bureau de Change operator. As of March 2018, the total facility for the property stood at over ₦808 million.
The witness also testified that additional properties in Wuse, Guzape, and other highbrow areas of Abuja were bought using funds from the same government account. In one instance, ₦170 million was used to purchase a property located behind the former governor’s Abuja residence, with payments partly through bank transfer and partly converted to US dollars.
Abubakar emphasized that all transfers were carried out on instructions from the first defendant and had no legitimate connection to official government transactions. He also reiterated previous findings on how large sums were used to acquire and renovate properties for the former governor’s family residence.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the trial to February 16–20, 2026, for its continuation.
