Ali Bello Alleged N10bn Fraud: Court Orders Police, DSS to Investigate Court Registrar, Defendant for Alleged Tampering with Evidence

Abuja, February 5, 2026

Justice J. K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, February 5, 2026, directed the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate his court Registrar, Nasiru Onimisi Zubairu, alongside the second defendant in an alleged N10 billion fraud, Daudu Sulaiman, for allegedly tampering with court exhibits N and O.

The directive followed a disclosure by Justice Omotosho that Zubairu confessed to him that Sulaiman had approached him to use a code to erase significant WhatsApp messages from a phone deposited in court as evidence.
In an open court session, Justice Omotosho played Zubairu’s confession and further required him to narrate what transpired between him and the second defendant. The judge emphasized the need for transparency, stating:

“I have to disclose it because that is what the Chief Judge told us—to ensure we disclose such a thing as early as possible. We have a policy of discovery and disclosure at the Federal High Court. We have zero tolerance for this kind of attitude. The person involved is here; I will call him so that you will hear from the horse’s mouth.”

Zubairu testified that Sulaiman approached him with a promise of accommodation in exchange for deleting certain WhatsApp messages from the exhibits. He told the court:
“I was asked to delete some certain information, some WhatsApp messages in the exhibits on the promise that I will be given a house.”
Justice Omotosho also allowed the prosecution, led by Director of Public Prosecution Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, to direct the investigation officer, Muhammed Audu Abubakar of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to confirm whether the chats had indeed been deleted.

Abubakar informed the court that information contained in Exhibits N and O, including chats from 2020 to 2022, had been deleted. Zubairu admitted that he could not recall the specific chats he deleted but confirmed that he had opened only two chats.
During further scrutiny, Oyedepo directed Abubakar to examine Exhibit N, particularly messages involving the Director-General, Government House. The witness confirmed that several messages had been erased, including:

December 23, 2020, messages, with a gap between December 22 and December 29, 2020
January 13, 2021: “Abdurasheed will bring it to Abuja now”

January 22, 2021: “Hudu will bring it now”
January 26, 2021: “Hudu is bringing N100m”
January 27, 2021: “Hudu is bringing it”
January 30, 2021: “N60m is on transit from Friday” and “Hudu is on his way to Abuja… coming with N30m”
August 30, 2021: “Mr Ododo has collected N50m and will be coming tomorrow to Abuja”
January 2, 2022: “Hudu is on his way, coming with N93m, N7m for TJ”

Abubakar emphasized that the deleted chats were discovered during the investigation, highlighting potential interference with critical evidence.
The court’s directive marks a significant step in ensuring accountability in the ongoing high-profile N10 billion fraud case involving Ali Bello and others, with both law enforcement and intelligence agencies now tasked to investigate the alleged tampering.