Courtroom Drama Unfolds as EFCC Witness Clears Former Kogi Governor in Fraud Case
Proceedings at the Federal Capital Territory High Court took a dramatic turn on Wednesday, as a prosecution witness in the trial of former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello, provided testimony that appeared to exonerate him from allegations of financial misconduct. The witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) 10th prosecution witness, detailed transactions from local government accounts but found no direct link to Bello.
Bank Documents Admitted Amid Legal Objections
At the start of the session, Egoro submitted 13 exhibits to the court, including account opening forms and bank statements associated with the Kogi state government house Administration and various contractors. However, defence counsel for the second and third defendants objected to the admissibility of these documents, arguing that the certificate of identification did not comply with the Evidence Act. They reserved comprehensive arguments for their final written submissions.
In response, prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, described the objection as premature and speculative, stating that the issue would be addressed at the final address stage. The court ruled to admit the documents provisionally, with their evidential weight to be determined later in accordance with criminal procedure.
Detailed Testimony on Transactions and Their Purposes
During his testimony, Egoro explained the inflows and outflows from the Government House Administration account, referencing Exhibit AP, which contains bank records of Fazab Business Enterprise from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2024. Under cross-examination by Paul Daudu, SAN, he confirmed that Fazab Business Enterprise had contractual relationships with several local government councils.
Egoro stated that payments to the company were tied to specific supplies and services, including educational materials, medical consumables, agricultural inputs, and relief materials. He highlighted that some of these supplies were intended to assist councils affected by the 2022 flood disaster. The witness identified a specific transaction of ₦14,453,900.84 made on May 6, 2022, as payment for reading materials supplied to Okene Local Government Area, and clarified other payments with similar stated purposes.
No Evidence Linking Bello to the Transactions
Throughout his testimony, Egoro emphasized that he found no evidence connecting former Governor Yahaya Bello to any of the transactions. He confirmed that Bello was not a beneficiary or an authorizing signatory for the payments. Additionally, Egoro acknowledged that he was not the account officer responsible for managing the local government accounts or those of the contractors involved, and he noted that Bello did not serve as chairman of any local government during the period covered by the bank records.
On transactions involving Westwood Motors Limited, Egoro referred to Exhibit AJ and told the court that multiple cash deposits were made into the company’s account by local governments, described as loan repayments. However, he did not provide any evidence associating Bello with those deposits.
Case Adjourned for Continuation of Trial
Following the day’s proceedings, the court adjourned the matter to March 10, 11, and 12 for the continuation of the trial. This development adds a new layer of complexity to the high-profile case, which has garnered significant public attention due to the allegations of an 80.2 billion naira fraud.
In a related case, the EFCC recently arraigned Gidado Ibrahim and Halimat Adenike Tejusho, who is currently at large, before Justice H. Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja. They face allegations of a N600 million job scam linked to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), highlighting ongoing efforts to combat financial crimes in Nigeria.
