The Kogi State governor’s wife, Rashida Bello, has been hobnobbing with the wife of Nigeria’s President, Aisha Buhari at Aso Rock Presidential Villa days after being declared wanted by Nigeria’s anti-graft agency- the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Confiance News recalls that the governor’s wife was arraigned in absentia by the EFCC on an allegation of money laundering.
The governor’s wife was among the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) stakeholders and members who paid a visit to the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.
She posted the photograph on her social media handles accompanied by the post: “A few days ago at the Presidential Villa where the wife of the President-Elect, wife of the Vice President-Elect, Myself and other Governor’s wives, as well as APC Stakeholders and members, paid a Courtesy Visit to the Mother of the Nation, Dr Mrs Aisha Buhari.”
Also sighted in the pictures are; the wife of Bola Tinubu, president-elect and the wives of some governors.
On February 13, the EFCC dragged Rashida and others to the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over money laundering and misappropriation of about N3 billion.
In a statement by Wilson Uwujaren, the agency’s spokesperson, they were docked on an 18-count charge “bordering on criminal misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of N3,081,804,654″.
Rashida Bello was, however, said to be at large by the EFCC.
“That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in June 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured E-Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 (Three Billion, Eighty-One Million, Eight Hundred and Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty-Four Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act,” the charge had read in part.
“That you Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in November 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court procured E-Traders International Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330 (Five Hundred and Seventy Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty United States Dollars) to account number no; 426-6644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation, and you 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 other defendants are the governor’s nephew, Ali Bello, Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka
