WorldStage– The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Bashir Bello Ibrahim, a former Kaduna State government’s contractor and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Formal Act Legacy Limited before Justice R. M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kaduna for fraud.
He was arraigned on five-count charges bordering on advance fee fraud, money laundering, retention of proceeds of crime and obtaining money under false pretence.
One of the charges reads: “That you Bashir Ibrahim Bello (being Managing Director of Formal Act Legacy Limited) and Formal Act Legacy Limited, sometime in 2023 at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria conspired between yourselves to commit a felony, to wit: obtaining the sum of N11,000,000.00 (Eleven Million Naira only) under false pretence, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Another reads: “That you Bashir Ibrahim Bello sometime in August 2023 at Kaduna, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria retained the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira, only) in account number 1006847310, domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, knowing same to form part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence under Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) & (4) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” following which the prosecution counsel, Fortune Amina Iminabo Asemebo urged the court for a trial date, while the defence counsel M.T. Muhammad urged the court for a date for the hearing of the defendant’s bail application.
Justice Aikawa ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Nigerian Correctional Centre, pending the determination of his bail application and adjourned the case till December 2, 2025.
Bello was arrested on April 28, 2025 following claims of 251 petitioners alleging that he defrauded them on different grounds under false pretences.
He is already facing prosecution on two separate grounds, having been previously arraigned for fraud on October 29, 2025 on a seven-count charge and on November 3, 2025 on an eight-count charge.
