The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja returned Ali Bello, the nephew of Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, to prison as the court failed to hear his bail application on Monday.

Bello and three other suspects: Abba Adauda, Yakubu Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, and Rashida Bello (at large) are facing 18 count charge of N3 billion fraud brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ahmed Raji, SAN, told the court at the resumed hearing on Monday that the EFCC served him with a counter-affidavit last Friday when he was remanded in prison custody after granting him bail.

The EFCC, through its lawyer, Mr. M.K. Hussein, confirmed the development.

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Justice Egwuatu has however deferred hearing of the bail applications and the EFCC’s counter-affidavit till Tuesday, directing that Bello and other defendants be returned back to prison.

The defendants prayed, for the court to release them on bail, pending the hearing and determination of the case against them contending that the charge contained bailable offenses.

The charges against them are that Bello and other suspects sometime in June 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, procured E-Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known, forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to with: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offense 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.

“That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adauda, and 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 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 with: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offense 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 charge sheet reads in part.