The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday presented its first witness in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, over alleged N80.2 billion fraud. The trial, taking place before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja, involves a 19-count charge against Bello, including criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
First Witness Testifies
The EFCC’s first witness, Segun Joseph Adeleke, General Manager of EFAB Properties Limited, testified that in 2020, he was introduced to Shehu Bello, who expressed interest in purchasing a property valued at N550 million. Adeleke stated that Bello later requested a refund after discovering the property was under EFCC investigation.
Under cross-examination by Yahaya Bello’s lead counsel, Joseph Bodunde Daudu (SAN), Adeleke admitted that Yahaya Bello was not present during the transactions and that his name did not appear in any of the documents.
Second Witness from UBA Testifies
The prosecution also called a second witness, Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA). She presented financial documents, including:
- Kogi State Government House statement of account (2016–2024)
-
Maselina Njoku’s account statement (2022)
-
American International School account details (September 2020)
Next Steps
Despite objections from the defense about being caught off guard, the court admitted the financial records into evidence. The trial is set to continue on March 6 and 7, 2025.
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