ABUJA, — The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force to investigate alleged tampering with exhibits in the ongoing money-laundering trial of Ali Bello and co-defendant Dauda Sulaiman.
At Thursday’s hearing, trial judge Justice James Omotosho said court registrar Nasiru Onimisi Zubairu admitted that Sulaiman allegedly approached him to delete WhatsApp messages from a phone admitted as evidence (marked as Exhibits N and O). The court then ordered a formal probe and adjourned proceedings to Monday.
EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) asked the court to revoke Sulaiman’s bail and permit forensic examination of the devices, after an EFCC witness said several chats from 2020–2022 were missing, including messages allegedly linked to high-value transfers. Defense counsel urged the court to await full forensic outcomes before any bail decision.
The substantive case involves a 10-count charge in which the EFCC alleges Bello and Sulaiman handled proceeds of unlawful diversion of Kogi State funds, with amounts including ₦5.86bn and ₦2.5bn, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act. Both defendants have denied wrongdoing.
If confirmed, interference with court exhibits could open a separate criminal track and significantly affect trial timelines, admissibility disputes, and bail terms in the main proceedings. For now, the court’s immediate priority is preserving evidentiary integrity pending the DSS/police findings.
