Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, on Thursday adjourned the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to November 12 and 13, 2025, following the testimony of the sixth prosecution witness presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Bello is being tried alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to ₦110.4 billion.
At Thursday’s hearing, the prosecution called its fifth witness, Victoria Oluwafemi, a compliance officer with Polaris Bank, who detailed financial transactions linked to accounts under investigation. She told the court that several deposits were made into the accounts in multiple tranches of ₦10 million, with total credits in November 2021 amounting to ₦450 million.
During cross-examination by Joseph Daudu (SAN), counsel to the first defendant, Oluwafemi admitted she was neither the account officer nor the relationship manager for the accounts and thus unaware of how the transactions were executed. Counsel to the second defendant, A.M. Aliyu, also questioned her, confirming that Abdulsalam Hudu’s name did not appear in the relevant section of the exhibit.
The prosecution attempted to tender certain documents through the witness, but defence counsel objected, arguing non-compliance with Sections 83 and 84 of the Evidence Act. Justice Anenih, however, admitted the 218-page statement of account of Alusha Services as Exhibit P1 (en bloc).
Under further examination by prosecution counsel Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), the witness reviewed transactions between February 2016 and May 2022, confirming multiple ₦10 million withdrawals. She also identified a $2,500 transfer by one B.O. Rosemary Chukwuma, followed by two $5,000 transfers to an individual named Yau. Additionally, she confirmed that ₦202 million in credits originated from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service in December 2016.
Earlier in the week, Abimbola Williams, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), had testified that massive cash withdrawals were made from Kogi State government accounts, allegedly diverted through repeated ₦10 million cheque withdrawals to Abdulsalam Gudu. Williams outlined dozens of such transactions between 2018 and 2019, amounting to several hundreds of millions of naira.
Similarly, Jesutomi Akonni, a compliance officer with Ecobank, told the court that several large cash deposits were made into the account of one Moses Wanzo in early 2016, including ₦15 million, ₦20 million, and ₦19 million deposits on separate dates.
Defence counsel Daudu also drew attention to a pending application on jurisdiction filed on September 26, 2025, arguing it should be heard before further proceedings. The EFCC’s counsel, Pinheiro, opposed the request, describing it as a delay tactic.
Justice Anenih, citing time constraints, adjourned the matter to November 12 and 13, 2025, for the continuation of the sixth prosecution witness’s testimony.
