A prosecution witness from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told the Federal High Court in Abuja that no power of attorney was ever produced for Yahaya Bello, the immediate-past governor of Kogi State, or for the second defendant, Shuaib Oricha, in a property deal now under investigation.
James Igbakuleh, a 28-year veteran attorney appearing in EFCC’s ongoing money-laundering trial, said he met neither Bello nor Oricha while handling the sale.
“I’ve now seen the former governor four times,” Igbakuleh testified. “Monday, Federal High Court; Tuesday, yesterday and today at the FCT High Court.”
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Under cross-examination by defence counsel Paul Daudu, SAN, he said the contact came from Shehu Bello, who said his company, SFC Foods Limited, wanted to dispose of the house on Adetokunbo Ademola Street, Wuse 2, sometime in 2021.
Payment was channelled into three accounts specified by the firm.
Nearly a year later, EFCC investigator Mohammed invited him, saying the agency’s probe had repeatedly turned up his name. Shown a counteroffer, sale agreement and deed of assignment, Igbakuleh recognised them. The counteroffer and deed—addressed to Shehu Bello—were admitted as exhibits AV1 and AV2.
Daudu pointed out that AV2 lacks the purchaser’s signature.
“It was not signed,” the witness agreed. “I signed my part and handed the document over.”
He also stated he neither drafted the deed nor executed it in the buyer’s presence.
