Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secret Reporters
Shielded for four years from prosecution from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the current Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed already had his plans set out at dawn, right from when he was made the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Smart, cunning and crafty, Bala knew that what money cannot buy, more money can buy and that includes getting himself free from persecution and prosecution from the powers that be. Knowing that power is transient and its lure appealing for men of easy virtues like him, he pilfered the national treasury not just for himself but to also settle people when the long arms of the law come calling. And truly, his projection came to pass when he left office. But first of all, what made him so powerful and influential that he is alleged to own over a hundred properties in Abuja spread across the city?
The former FCT Minister was the Chairman of the board of directors of the lucrative Aso Savings and Loans but also in charge of the Abuja Geographical Information System (AGIS) which is in charge of all the lands in Abuja. SecretReporters sources in EFCC disclosed that with these two juicy government bodies under his nose, his pen wreaked havoc on the city and in turn public funds as he allocated lands to himself and associates while bending the board of Aso Savings and Loans to do his bidding.
Confidential sources within the commission in their investigation pegged the Bauchi Governor as owning properties worth $2,739,726,027,00 which is over N1 trillion, all acquired in the space of 2010-2015. Most of these funds were acquired and laundered in collaboration with his jobless 23 years son, Shamsudeen Bala, who is now 26 years.
As FCT Minister, sources disclosed that he got the two bodies he heads to allocate to him lands under the ‘Green Areas’ plan in Maitama to himself and four fully detached duplexes and eleven semi-detached duplexes valued at $860,000 which is locally converted to be N309.6 million. The EFCC has also alleged that a whooping sum of N550 million was collected as bribe from Aso Savings and Loans in exchange for his political goodwill concerning some properties in Asokoro.
His case with EFCC
Arraigned by the anti-graft commission and properties forfeited in the interim with most of them, not in the public domain, SecretReporters can report that the former Senator turned governor lied to the public about the properties which were forfeited not belonging to him as they belonged to him, as stated by EFCC sources to us.
We hereby chronicle forfeited properties by him that were not listed to the public by the EFCC.
- House in Jahi forfeited on March 16th 2016
- No 7, Gana Street, Maitama forfeited on March 16th 2016
- No 1, Marian Street, Asokoro forfeited on March 16th 2016
- No 3, Marian Street, Asokoro forfeited on March 16th 2016
- Abuja Investment Company Ltd Estate forfeited on March 16th 2016
- Dawaki opposite Gwarimpa forfeited on March 16th 2016
- Wuse Zone 3 by Tamarak Guest Inn forfeited in March 16th 2016
- Dubai Market, Kawra District forfeited on March 16th 2016
- Plot 2276, Sunrise Estate Asokoro forfeited on Nov. 17th 2016
- 1804, Damaturu Crescent, Off Ahamadu Bello Way, Garki 11 forfeited on Nov. 17th 2016
- 54, Mike Akhigbe Way, Jabi forfeited on Nov. 17th 2016
- House 13 G2 Close, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 14, A6 Close, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 16, A6 Close, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 7, A7 Street, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 10, A7 Street, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 18, A7 Street, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 11, G2 Close, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 26, F Road, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 3, A9 Street, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 5, A9 Close, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 9, A9 Close, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- House 15 G2 Close, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- Citec Ekiti, House 11, A7 Street, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
- Citec, Mount Pleasant, House 2 Street, Citec Estate, Mbora District forfeited on March 6th 2017
His billionaire son stinking wealth
Like father like son goes the popular saying. Shamsudeen the prodigal son of the Bauchi Governor refused to be left out as his dad acquired Abuja like a conquered territory. And indeed, it was a conquered empire to them, as his son made Nigerians green with envy through the display of his posh automobiles and expensive wristwatches.
According to EFCC sources, the young Bala who is facing prosecution silently own homes worth billions in Naira. In one of such purchase at Sunrise Hill, Asokoro, he paid cash without batting an eyelid, into the account of the Managing Director of Sunrise Hill, Mr Sami Apougaoude, a Lebanese who is now late. K&K Construction Company was contracted to develop the property and in a bid to play smart and deceive investigators, he made a cash deposit of N100 million into Sunrise Hills account and quickly asked them to transfer to K&K Construction company.
Using a company called Birtus Agro Allied Limited, which is alleged to act as a front for Bala Mohammed, cash deposits of N296 million and another N110 million was deposited into the same K&K Construction Company. He also deposited another N200 million into the same construction company.
In further laundering of money, Shamsudeen bought a property at No 7, Gana Street which was paid for in cash, accompanied by a lady named Maimuna Aliyu Sanda. The lady we gathered helped him to buy four sets of four-bedroom fully detached duplexes with helpers’ extension. The developer of the property, Mr Fatouk Saleh was paid N210 million in dollar form.
Four of his accounts domiciled in Standard Chartered Bank with account numbers: 0000895037, 0001857597, 0000895020 and 5001214708 were used by the son to help in allegedly laundering money for his father, claimed an anti-graft source to SecretReporters.
Most of the properties, however, have been given to top government officials in the Buhari’s government to allow Bala Mohammed to have breathing space. This according to sources was the reason he was not seriously hunted by anti-corruption agencies but allowed to contest as a governor which he won under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has given him immunity from prosecution.
It remains to be seen if the EFCC and ICPC will continue with the case after his tenure as governor or allow him to walk a free man with Nigerians wealth and properties in his possession. His son who has no immunity currently walks as a free man as his case has not been heard ever since he was first arraigned.
@SecretReporters You mean top official of this president Mohammed Buhari who rode to power with promise of wiping out corruption were gifted with choice properties and the let senator Bala Mohammed be?
You also talked about being immuned from prosecution, why will governor Bala Mohammed give out houses to appease anyone when infact he’s covered by immunity?
The accused forfeited 25 properties in choice location in Abuja? If you ever lived in Abuja, you know that the locations where the so called forfeited properties are, is highbrow areas and only 1one person is able to allocation and buy all these luxury apartments? This sounds more like a script for telenovas please.
As cunning and crafty as described by your medium, senator Bala Mohammed didn’t assign someone to buy houses for on behalf of his son so that he can cunningly cover his tracks and insulate his family, from whatever crime he will be accused of in the future when the long arm of law comes calling?.
Try and be more creative next time that way, you can drive more traffic to your site which obviously q is your aim but more so you won’t be seen as a chalatan who is helping EFCC amplify their media trial or better still that your pay master will pay you more for tarnishing the image of their percieved enemy.
They say, “they pen is mightier than sword” Me; if only you are being objective enough. By the way how comes you never bothered to find out the accused own side of the story SecretReporter? This is nothing other than a smear campaign.