Nigerians have expressed shock after the wife of Kogi governor, Rashida Bello declared wanted over a N3 billion fraud was seen chilling with first lady Aisha Buhari and the wife of the president-elect, Remi Tinubu at the villa.
Nigerians who lamented that corruption has now become endemic in the country, noted that the photo makes them depressed.
“Is this for real?
Corruption is endemic. It is innate in an average African. Each time I read out matters like this, I feel depressed because I know what I am going through. I understand what others are also going through. The hardship is intense. Why would these people continue to siphon our common patrimony at our own expense?
Anybody who can help me with a job, no matter how menial or humbling, I would appreciate. You’re helping an entire family if u do this for me. We are dying here” a social media user wrote on a forum.
Recall that on February 13, the EFCC sued Mrs Bello and others at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court over money laundering and misappropriation of about N3 billion.
According to Peoples Gazette, Mrs Bello announced her presence at a meeting with Mrs Buhari and Remi Tinubu at the Villa on Monday, few weeks after the anti-graft agency declared her wanted.
“Few days ago at the Presidential Villa where the wife of the president-elect, (the) wife of the vice-president-elect, myself and other governor’s wives, as well as APC stakeholders and members, paid a courtesy visit to the mother of the nation, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari,” Mr Bello said in a Facebook post on Monday, sharing photos of herself in the company of the women.
EFCC’s spokesman Wilson Uwujaren told Peoples Gazette that “the matter is in court” when asked on Thursday about the anti-graft agency’s claim that Mrs Bello is at large.
Last February, the anti-corruption commission arraigned the Kogi first lady (in absentia) and four others for money laundering and criminal misappropriation.
“That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adaudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in June 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court procured E- Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act,” said count one of the charge.
They are facing an 18-count charge.
