RismadarVoice Reporters
March 18, 2026
The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has affirmed the voluntariness of extra-judicial statements made by Ali Bello and Dauda Sulaiman in an ongoing trial over alleged ₦10.27 billion fraud.
Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling delivered on Wednesday, held that the statements were made voluntarily and were therefore admissible as evidence in the main trial.
The ruling followed a trial-within-trial conducted to determine whether the defendants were coerced into making the statements during investigation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Bello who is a nephew of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello alongside Sulaiman on a 16-count amended charge bordering on alleged misappropriation and money laundering.
During proceedings, the defence had objected to the prosecution’s attempt to tender eight statements, claiming the defendants were placed under duress and threatened. However, the court found that their legal counsel was present when the statements were taken and had endorsed them as confessional and voluntary.
Justice Omotosho said the process complied with relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, and subsequently admitted the statements earlier marked as exhibits during the preliminary hearing into the substantive trial.
The case was adjourned to April 21 and 24, 2026, for the prosecution to close its case.
