High-stakes decision looms for Ali Bello and co-defendant.
The Federal High Court in Abuja has set March 18 for the ruling in the trial-within-trial for Ali Bello, Chief of Staff to Kogi Governor Usman Ododo, and co-defendant Dauda Suleiman, over alleged N10 billion money laundering.
The mini-trial examined whether the extra-judicial statements made by the defendants during EFCC investigations were voluntary. Both Bello and Suleiman argued their statements were made under duress and should be excluded from evidence.
Bello’s lawyer, K.C. Wisdom, urged the court to reject the statements, while Suleiman’s counsel, Olusegun Jolaawo, SAN, cited breaches of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
The EFCC, however, insisted the eight statements—six by Bello and two by Suleiman—were voluntarily made and should be admitted as evidence.
Justice James Omotosho will deliver the court’s decision on March 18, marking a crucial moment in the high-profile case.
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