Alleged N10bn Kogi Fraud: EFCC Witness Dismisses ‘Electric Chair’ Claim, Says Ali Bello’s Statement Was Voluntary

The trial of Ali Bello, nephew of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as a prosecution witness firmly denied claims that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) threatened the defendants with an “electric chair” to extract statements.
Testifying before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, the Second Prosecution Witness (PW2), Yazid Bawa, said no such threat was ever made during the investigation.
Ali Bello — who currently serves as Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo — is standing trial alongside Dauda Sulaiman on an amended 16-count charge bordering on alleged misappropriation and money laundering totaling N10,270,556,800.00.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness dismissed the defence’s allegation that Sulaiman was threatened with an electric chair before making his statement.
“No one. In fact, I have never seen one before,” Bawa told the court, insisting that both defendants made their statements voluntarily without any coercion.
Backing the testimony, the Third Prosecution Witness (PW3), Adamu Usman Yusuf — head of the EFCC investigative team — described the allegation as “surprising.” He pointed out that portions of the defendants’ statements showed they freely declined to comment on certain questions, demonstrating absence of pressure.
“If my lord goes through the statements, he will see places where he said he would not comment or that he could not say anything. Throughout, Abbas (defence counsel) was present and one other lady. At lunch, they ate and then we continued,” Yusuf said.
When confronted with Exhibits TWT A and B, PW3 maintained that the defendants were not forced to write their statements and confirmed they signed the cautionary words. He explained that Sulaiman’s detention was due to his failure to produce a surety.
Addressing why the interrogation was not audio-visually recorded, the witness stated that the statements were confessional and noted that defence counsel never raised any complaint of maltreatment during the process.
Under cross-examination, defence counsel A.M. Aliyu, SAN, alleged that EFCC operatives told Ali Bello he would “rot in jail” unless he implicated his uncle, Yahaya Adoza Bello, in ownership of certain properties. PW3 flatly rejected the claim: “My lord, that is not true.”
The court adjourned the matter until February 18, 2026, for the defence to open and close its case as the sub-trial — instituted to determine the voluntariness of the defendants’ extra-judicial statements — continues.
The high-stakes proceedings remain closely watched, as they form part of the broader N10 billion fraud allegations rocking Kogi’s political landscape.