The fourth prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing money laundering case involving the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has reaffirmed that the withdrawals made by the state government did not violate any banking regulations.
During cross-examination before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, Mshelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with one of Nigeria’s commercial banks, clarified that the former governor’s name was not listed as a beneficiary in the account tendered as evidence.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Daudu, representing the defence, pointed out certain withdrawals made by one Umar Olufunke, which the prosecution had not highlighted. The prosecution, instead, focused primarily on transactions executed by Abdulsalam Hudu, the Cashier at Kogi State Government House.
According to Bata, the withdrawals—each in multiples of ₦10 million—were carried out between December 2017 and April 2018, with various hotels in Kogi State listed as the beneficiaries. He further confirmed that withdrawals by one Alhassan Omakoji, made between November 2021 and December 2022, were also within the ₦10 million limit per transaction as set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The witness added that he was unaware of any law that dictates how the Kogi State Government spends its funds or allocations. He also emphasized that beyond the named beneficiaries, it was not possible to determine the exact purpose of the state’s financial transactions.
Following his testimony, the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), declined re-examination and requested the witness’s discharge.
Subsequently, the fifth prosecution witness, Jesutoni Akoni, a Compliance Officer with Ecobank Plc, was called to testify. Led by another prosecution counsel, Chukwudi Enebeli (SAN), Akoni presented a subpoena issued to Ecobank, which the court accepted as evidence. He also submitted the statement of account belonging to Moses Ailetu companies, accompanied by a certificate of identification covering the period from January 1 to January 31, 2016.
The defence raised no objection, and the document was marked as Exhibit 29. During his examination, Akoni confirmed that cash deposits into the account ranged from ₦3 million to ₦20 million, amounting to a total of ₦57 million. However, he maintained that former Governor Bello was not a beneficiary of the deposits and that it was impossible to determine the origin of the funds based solely on the documents presented.
The prosecution then introduced its sixth witness, Mohammed Bello Hassan, a relationship officer with Keystone Bank, who provided the account statements of Dantata and Sawoe, also accompanied by a certificate of identification. The documents were admitted without objection.
Afterward, a seventh witness, Olomotame Egoro, a Compliance Officer from Access Bank, took the stand following a subpoena. Egoro confirmed the submission of 12 sets of requested documents and explained that sufficient customer details had been extracted from the original account opening packages.
While the defence counsel, Daudu (SAN), accepted the admission of the main account statement, he objected to additional documents attached, arguing they were not part of the original subpoena. In response, Pinheiro (SAN) clarified that those extra documents were included in anticipation of possible need. Daudu then urged the court to direct the prosecution to remove “all extraneous documents attached.”
The prosecution complied by detaching the irrelevant materials, after which Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case until November 11, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
What you should know
Yahaya Bello, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, is currently facing trial on money laundering allegations brought by the EFCC.
Despite multiple witnesses testifying, no evidence has directly linked him as a beneficiary of the transactions so far, with witnesses affirming that the state’s financial activities adhered to existing banking laws.
