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Money Laundering Allegation: Few Days After Threatening WikkiTimes Publisher, Bauchi Gov’s Son Vows to Sue Hausa Satirist

A few days after threatening WikkiTimes publisher, Haruna Mohammed Salisu, the son of Bauchi State Governor, Shamsudeen Bala, has issued another threat to Bello Galadanci, a Chinese-based Nigerian using satire to expose corruption in his home country. 

Popularly known as Dan Bello, the satirist in one of his skits videos pointed out the massive and shameless corruption happening in Bauchi State under Bala Mohammed. He referenced WikkiTimes’ investigation, which revealed how the government wasted billions on security votes. In a humorous twist, he asked whose governor’s son had been “caught overseas for money laundering to buy houses” and detained for three weeks.

Though Dan Bello didn’t directly name the governor’s son, Shamsudeen, in a Facebook post, felt targeted and accused the satirist of defamation. He even threatened to take legal action against Dan Bello.

Five days ago, Shamsudeen threatened Salisu, the WikkiTimes publisher saying he would be “his enemy forever.” He added that Salisu operates Sahara Reporters and PREMIUM TIMES, calling the two news outlets blackmailers.

Salisu had contacted the governor’s son about an ongoing investigation, but the latter would not allow him to explain the context of the story before attacking him verbally. He threatened to sue him if he published any report against him.

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Dan Bello Used Satire to Expose Corruption in Bauchi

In one of the three different videos he posted on TikTok, Dan Bello satirically revealed how Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed aspires to become Nigeria’s president despite his poor performance in healthcare delivery and education.

Dan Bello contrasted the rundown schools across Bauchi State with the recently renovated Bauchi State Government House, which was reconstructed by Architectronix Limited at a staggering cost of N6 billion.

In another one, the satirist vowed to take the challenge to “Next Level” if the state government did not tender an apology for calling him a “liar who was trying to make a name.”

According to him, the scourge is not peculiar to Bauchi alone.

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“It is all of Northern Nigeria and we cannot continue this way,” he said in Hausa, declaring a “war on corruption in terms of education and healthcare in all Northern Nigeria.”

The Next Level: Dan Bello Reveals More, Ask Whose Son Was Recently Arrested for Money Laundering

In another video he posted on TikTok earlier today, Dan Bello berates the Bauchi State governor saying his ridicule for Bauchi citizens has “emboldened you to loot their treasury in broad daylight.”

“If you are a governor, would you rather let your people die or fix healthcare?” he asked the governor.

The satirist said he had combed through the state budget performance documents between 2021 and 2024, adding “The embezzlement is astonishing.”

Dan Bello asked the governor where he got money to build his mansion in the heart of Bauchi, being a civil servant.

The satirist said the governor thought “We are not aware of how the government house construction doubled” from N6 billion to N13 billion. According to him, the price was inflated to simultaneously build the governor’s mansion.

“I don’t think Bauchi people understand the staggering quantity of this money,” he continued. “One billion naira is N1 million in 1,000 ways and this money can be used to renovate 1,000 classes for N6 million per classroom.”

Further, Dan Bello presented pictorial evidence of various dilapidated general hospitals and schools in Bauchi, asking the governor if he was not aware of how many people have died in the state as a result of the negligence of healthcare by his administration.

Dan Bello, citing a WikkiTmes report that revealed how the state government spent N67 billion on security votes between 2021 and first quarter of 2024, expressed dismay over the massive corruption. The security votes expenditure, according to WikkiTimes reporting, exceeds N28.8 billion spent on education and 24 billion expended on healthcare.

“You have cheated Bauchi people,” Dan Bello told the governor, adding that justice will prevail.

The Governor’s Son Politicise Allegation, Threatens Dan Bello with Lawsuit

In a Facebook post on Sunday evening, the governor’s son said Dan Bello’s claims are nothing but All Progressives Congress (APC) agenda and propaganda.

“Na Lura Maganar @danbello Ba Komai Bane Illa APC Agenda and Propaganda,” he wrote in Hausa, adding “most are Baseless.”

Shamsudeen dismissed that he was not caught with money abroad. According to him, if the claim was true, platforms such as WikkiTimes, Sahara Reporters and British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) would have reported about it.

“In this time and Era of credit Cards and other Banking sectors, that someone will take money to buy houses and get arrested ?” Shamsudeen stated.

“I Challenge Danbello to come up with the evidence of such allegations that I was arrested and prosecuted for money laundering in the United Kingdom or else we are going to court with him Insha Allah for Defamation and Character Assassination,” he added.

The governor’s son had faced a similar allegation before. In February 2017, he was arraigned on 20-counts-charge bordering on money laundering.

 Shamsudeen, in the twilight of his father’s tenure as the minister of FCT, allegedly paid cash to four companies to acquire properties in choice areas in Abuja. The four companies include, Bird Trust Agro Allied Limited, Intertrans Global Logistic Ltd, Diakin Telecommunications Ltd, and Bal-Vac Mining Nigeria Ltd.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bala paid various cash sums amounting to N1.2 billion beyond the limit set by the Money Laundering Act for purchase of houses without going through a financial institution.

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Bala and the four companies pleaded not guilty to the charges, although court ordered forfeiture of the assets linked to him in “choice areas” in Abuja. 

Six years later, the case was struck out by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

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