Former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, along with his successor and current Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, paid a visit to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, at his Abuja residence on Thursday afternoon.
The visit was confirmed in a statement shared by the minister’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Although no official explanation was given for the meeting, there is speculation that the visit could be part of efforts to build strategic alliances with influential members of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the former governor of Kogi before Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja.
He was arraigned alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N110.4billion.
Count eleven of the charge reads: “That you Yahaya Adoza Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha And Abdulsalami Hudu sometime 2022, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst having dominion over the state’s treasury, dishonestly used the total sum of Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty Eight Dirhams for the acquisition of a property located at Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, lying, being and situate at Plot 160, Municipality NO 345-7562, Sky View Building No.401, Floor4, Dubai U.A.E”.
However the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja subsequently granted Bello bail in the sum of N500 million and three sureties.