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| Hunan and Environmental Development Agenda |
The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has asked the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, to reassign the ₦10.27 billion money-laundering case involving Ali Bello, Dauda Sulaiman and Abdulsalami Hudu back to Justice James Omotosho so the matter can continue from its current stage rather than begin afresh.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, HEDA made the request after Justice Omotosho withdrew from the case on 24 September 2026. The judge cited unresolved concerns over alleged tampering with an exhibit that had already been admitted in evidence.
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the case in 2022. It alleges that ₦10.27 billion was misappropriated from the Kogi State Government treasury. The defendants have denied the charges. The prosecution presented 17 witnesses and closed its case on 2 June 2026. The defendants then filed no-case submissions.
According to reports of the proceedings, the withdrawal followed controversy around Exhibit N — a mobile phone said to contain WhatsApp conversations relevant to the case. Justice Omotosho had ordered investigations by the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services after stating that messages on the device appeared to have been deleted. He later indicated that the unresolved issues surrounding the exhibit could affect his assessment of the no-case submissions and create an appearance of bias.
HEDA argued that restarting the trial would cause further delay in a matter that has already reached the close of the prosecution’s evidence. The organisation urged the Chief Judge to explore all lawful options that would allow the case to proceed from the stage already reached, subject to applicable law and due process.
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It also called for the results of the investigation into the alleged evidence tampering to be formally presented to the court and addressed through proper legal channels. HEDA specifically asked that law-enforcement agencies prosecute the court registrar who was indicted by the judge in connection with the incident.
Suraju stressed that HEDA’s position does not amount to any determination of the guilt or innocence of the defendants. Those questions remain for the court to decide on the evidence. It is also still to be determined whether any of the defendants played a role in the alleged tampering.
“We urge the Chief Judge to protect the integrity of the proceedings while ensuring that the substantial progress already made in the case is not unnecessarily lost,” Suraju said. He further called for clarity on the investigation outcomes, the status of the allegedly deleted messages, and the handling of evidence admitted by the court.
HEDA maintained that the case should continue from its current stage rather than be restarted without a compelling legal reason, so that the substantial work already done is preserved and the matter can be determined in a timely manner according to law.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Technology.
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