Olomotane Egoro, the 10th Prosecution Witness in the alleged money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, has told the court that the cash withdrawals referenced in his testimony followed the guidelines set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Egoro, a Compliance Officer with Access Bank Plc, informed the court that he has been employed by the bank since May 2023.
He confirmed that Aminu Olanrewaju, previously identified as having made withdrawals from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account, was indeed one of the authorised signatories to the account.
During cross-examination, the witness stated that documentation from the account opening package showed Olanrewaju was a civil servant and served as Director of Accounts in the Kogi State Government Administration.
He clarified that, as an Access Bank official, he had no direct knowledge of how the Kogi Government House Account was internally managed and could not determine the intended purpose of the withdrawn funds beyond the descriptions attached to the transactions.
Egoro said his testimony was consistent with the one he earlier gave before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The banker acknowledged that the former governor was neither a local government chairman nor directly connected to any of the transactions presented in court. This clarification related to transactions involving various Local Government Areas in Kogi State and companies such as Fazab Business Enterprise, among others.
According to the witness, payment descriptions in the records included purchases of sporting equipment, agrochemicals, farm inputs, and medical consumables.
He stated that a N10.6 million lodgment from Ibaji Local Government statutory revenue was for agrochemicals, while N7.3 million from Mopa Muro Local Government was for relief materials. He also noted that N9.9 million from Ofu Local Government was for the procurement of agrochemicals, among other transactions.
Earlier during Examination-in-Chief, the court admitted a subpoena signed by the Managing Director of Access Bank into evidence. The subpoena contained statements of account for the Kogi State Government House Administration from January 2016 to January 2024.
It also included statements of accounts for Westwood Motors Limited, Fozad Oil and Gas Limited, Bespoque Global Concept Limited, E-Traders International Limited, Keyless Nature Limited, and other entities.
Counsel representing the 2nd and 3rd Defendants objected to the admissibility of the documents, arguing that the certificate of identification did not comply with provisions of the Evidence Act. He said he would elaborate on his position in his final written address.
In response, prosecution counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, described the objection as a fishing expedition and indicated that he too would present his arguments in his final written address.
Justice Maryann Anenih admitted the documents but noted that their evidentiary weight would be determined at a later stage, if necessary, depending on the strength of the objection.
The Kogi Government House Account was marked as Exhibits AH1 and AH2, while statements from 11 companies were labeled from AG to AR.
The prosecution directed the witness to Exhibit AH1, covering transactions from December 2018 to August 2019, and asked him to confirm credit inflows from the Kogi State Government House. He was also asked to confirm withdrawals made by Aminu Jimoh Olarenwaju and Abdulsalami Hudu, which he did.
When asked about cash withdrawals made on December 24, 2018, the witness stated that there were multiple withdrawals from the account. He noted that the bank filed a Suspicious Transaction Report with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) in line with standard procedures.
Egoro further stated that there were multiple withdrawals of N10 million each between January 15 and 16, 2018, by Aminu Jimoh Olanrewaju, and another withdrawal on March 8 by Abdulsalami Hudu.
The prosecution also asked him to identify the credit entry to Exhibit AP in May 2022. He responded that several credit inflows from local government areas were recorded in the account, along with cash withdrawals by Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege.
However, under cross-examination, the witness maintained that no law was breached in the transactions, reiterating that the withdrawals complied with CBN guidelines.
Justice MaryAnne Anenih subsequently adjourned the case to March 10, 11, and 12, 2026, for continuation of the witness’s cross-examination.
What you should know
In the ongoing EFCC trial of former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello, a compliance officer from Access Bank testified that cash withdrawals from the Kogi Government House Administration Account were carried out in line with Central Bank of Nigeria guidelines.
He confirmed certain signatories and transaction details but stated Bello’s name was not linked to the transactions presented. While the bank filed Suspicious Transaction Reports as required, the witness maintained that no laws were violated.
The court has admitted several financial documents, with objections to be resolved later.
