Kaduna court refuses bail to suspect in alleged N30bn fraud amid multiple prosecutions

Stanley Ihedigbo

Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kaduna, has refused to grant bail to Bashir Ibrahim Bello, who is facing three separate prosecutions simultaneously.

According to Mr. Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bello is being tried for various financial crimes, with over 400 petitions pending against him at the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Commission.

Specifically, he faces allegations of N30 billion fraud, including obtaining money under false pretences, money laundering, and retention of proceeds of crime.

Bello, Managing Director of Formal Act Legacy Limited, was first arraigned by the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on October 29, 2025, on a seven-count charge under Suit No: FHC/KD/316C/2025.

He was arraigned again on November 3, 2025, on an eight-count charge in a separate case (Suit No: FHC/KD/285C/2025), and on November 6, 2025, he faced a five-count charge in another matter (Suit No: FHC/KD/246CC/2025).

When Bello’s bail application in one of the cases came up for hearing on November 25, prosecution counsel F.A.I. Asemebo opposed the motion, arguing that the defendant was likely to jump bail due to the multiple prosecutions he is facing. Asemebo also noted that there are still over 400 petitions pending against him at the EFCC.

Justice Aikawa denied the bail application, citing the seriousness of the charges and the multiplicity of the prosecutions as key factors in his decision.

Bello was initially arrested on April 28, 2025, following complaints from over 400 individuals who alleged that he obtained money from them under false pretences.