EFCC denies electric chair threat in Ali Bello trial

• Says FEC directed Agunloye to withdraw Mambilla contract

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From Sola Ojo, Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday dismissed allegations that it threatened Ali Bello and his co-defendant with an electric chair to extract statements.

This came as a separate witness told a Federal High Court that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) directed former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, to withdraw the Mambilla Power Project contract.

In the first case, the second prosecution witness (PW2), Yazid Bawa, testified before Justice James Omotosho at the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, in the trial-within-trial of Ali Bello, nephew of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, and his co-defendant, Dauda Sulaiman.

Bawa told the court that none of the defendants was threatened with an electric chair while in EFCC custody, stressing that their statements were made voluntarily.

“No one threatened them. In fact, I have never even seen an electric chair before,” he said.

Another witness, PW3 and head of the EFCC investigation team, Adamu Usman Yusuf, also denied claims of coercion, noting that defence counsel was present during the statement-taking process.

“This is surprising. If my lord goes through the statements, he will see where the second defendant declined to comment on some issues. At lunch, they ate and we continued. No threats were made,” Yusuf said.

Under cross-examination, defence counsel alleged that Ali Bello was told he would “rot in jail” if he did not implicate his uncle. Yusuf rejected the claim, insisting the statements were signed voluntarily.

Ali Bello, who currently serves as Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, and Sulaiman are facing a 16-count charge of misappropriation and money laundering involving over N10.27 billion.

Justice Omotosho adjourned the case to 18 February 2026 for the defence to open and close its case.

In a separate trial on the same day, the third prosecution witness (PW3), Umar Hussein Babangida, testified before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie at the Federal High Court, Apo, Abuja, in the case against former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, over the alleged $6 billion Mambilla Power Project fraud.

Babangida told the court that the Federal Executive Council under former President Olusegun Obasanjo directed Agunloye to withdraw the memo awarding the Mambilla contract to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited.

He said FEC did not instruct the minister to reduce government equity participation to 10 per cent, but to withdraw the award entirely.

The witness dismissed legal opinions by former Attorneys General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa and Abubakar Malami, which supported the revival of the contract, describing them as mere opinions.

He also rejected references to another legal opinion by Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, following objections by the prosecution.

Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter to 18 February 2026 for continuation of hearing.