The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday tendered a fresh batch of bank records as evidence in the ongoing trial of the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Adoza Bello.
Bello is standing trial before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, alongside co-defendants Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu. The trio faces a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N10.4 billion.
Zenith Bank Testimony: Security Votes and Transfers
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, continued the cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness (PW6), Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank.
Under cross-examination by defense counsel J.B. Daudu, SAN, the witness clarified entries in the state’s statement of account. Bata identified a January 20, 2016, entry showing N10 million collected by Abdulsalami Hudu and a payment of N2.45 million to Halims Hotels and Tours, Lokoja. However, the witness stated he did not know the specific purpose of these disbursements.
Further testimony revealed a December 2016 credit of N74.37 million from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, followed by two separate N10 million payments to one Mohammed Jami’u Sallau.
Counsel to the third defendant, Z.B. Abbas, questioned whether the third defendant was acting in his official capacity as a civil servant and accountant. This prompted an objection from the prosecution, which Justice Anineh sustained, ruling that the bank witness could not testify to the internal workings of the Kogi State civil service.
The witness further listed Chris Onyepola (Permanent Secretary), Onyechukwu Daniel L. (Chief Accountant), and Abdulsalami Hudu (Accountant) as the authorized signatories to the account. He also confirmed several inflows described as “Security Fund” and “His Excellency Special Sec Vote,” totaling millions of naira, which were followed by withdrawals by the third defendant.
Keystone Bank: Construction Company Credits
The prosecution subsequently called its seventh witness (PW7), Mohammed Bello Hassan, an executive trainee with Keystone Bank.
Hassan produced the 2021 statement of account for Dantata and Sawoe Construction. The records showed a series of N10 million credit entries in February 2021. According to the witness, one Maigari Murtala transferred a total of N90 million in nine tranches, while Yusuf Mubarak transferred N10 million, totaling N100 million within a few days.
The court also heard of transfers totaling over N28 million to a firm identified as Zadakkayak Global in November 2021.
Sterling Bank: Revenue Service Inflows
The ninth prosecution witness (PW9), A.D. Ojoma, a compliance officer with Sterling Bank, testified regarding the account of Bespoke Business Solutions Limited.
Ojoma identified massive credit entries from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS). These included a payment of N138.4 million in April 2019 and N136.8 million in May 2019, both described as “NAFFS Kogi State payment commission.”
Additionally, the witness highlighted an August 2019 credit from the revenue service for “payment of contractors” amounting to N183.6 million, and a separate N242.2 million entry for the “purchase of OBPEH.”
