Muhammed Bello Koko, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has faced multiple accusations of corruption and has been labeled a stooge for former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
The National Coordinator of the APC Young Leaders Forum (APC-YLF), a faction of the All Progressive Congress, accused Amaechi of opposing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda. According to the forum’s coordinator, Comrade Usman Aminu, some presidential caucuses have been covering up the corrupt practices of Bello-Koko, whom they described as Amaechi’s stooge.
Despite being cleared by the House of Representatives committee on public petitions over an alleged ₦178 billion debt, fresh allegations continue to surface against Bello-Koko. The committee had dismissed a petition demanding an explanation for the increase in the NPA’s debt from ₦135 billion in 2018 to ₦178 billion in 2024, as no representative appeared to defend the allegation at a public hearing.
The APC group further alleged that Bello-Koko is known for fraud, extortion, tax evasion, forgery, and money laundering both in Nigeria and abroad. A UK-based fraud and corruption investigative team has claimed to have found evidence of his involvement in multiple criminal acts. They have written to the UK Home Office seeking the confiscation and forfeiture of properties allegedly acquired by Bello-Koko through questionable means.
These fresh allegations highlight ongoing concerns about corruption within the NPA and the broader challenges President Tinubu faces in addressing such issues amidst his administration’s agenda.