The Federal High Court Nigeria sitting in Abuja has dismissed a major objection raised by Ali Bello in his ongoing alleged ₦10 billion fraud trial, allowing key evidence to be admitted.
Delivering the ruling on Wednesday, Justice James Omotosho held that extra-judicial statements made by Bello and his co-defendant, Dauda Sulaiman, were given voluntarily and are therefore admissible in court.
The decision followed a trial-within-trial after the defence challenged the attempt by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to tender eight statements, alleging they were obtained under duress.
However, the court ruled that the presence and endorsement of the defendants’ legal representatives during the recording of the statements weakened claims of coercion and confirmed that due process was followed in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
With the ruling, the statements were officially admitted as evidence in the substantive trial, strengthening the prosecution’s case.
Ali Bello—a relative of former Kogi State governor Yahaya Adoza Bello—is standing trial alongside Sulaiman on a 16-count amended charge involving alleged misappropriation and money laundering totaling ₦10.27 billion.
The case has been adjourned to April 21 and 24, 2026, for the EFCC to conclude its presentation of evidence.