The fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has denied claims that he was harassed by the defendant’s security aides.
Mshelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, made the clarification during Friday’s hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
He told the court that he was not subjected to any form of harassment, contrary to allegations made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).
Bata said he felt the need to set the record straight, stating clearly that he was not harassed by any of the security details attached to the defendant, and added: “I was not harassed at all, and I felt the need to clarify this, my Lord.”
Defense counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), also brought the judge’s attention to a report published on the EFCC’s website, which claimed that the witness had been harassed. Daudu accused the EFCC of misrepresenting the facts from the previous day’s proceedings.
In response, Pinheiro told the court that he would notify the EFCC office regarding the matter.
Under cross-examination, Bata confirmed that Yahaya Bello was not linked to any of the bank accounts presented as evidence.
He emphasized that the former governor’s name did not appear as a signatory or beneficiary in any of the transactions detailed in the documents before the court.
“I am here to speak on the documents before me. From the document, His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello’s name did not feature in any description or as beneficiary in any transaction in the documents before me,” Bata told the court, referring to Exhibit 22A, covering pages 24 to 413.
He further confirmed that the signatories to the accounts belonged to officials of the Kogi State Government House Administration, including the Permanent Secretary, the Chief Accountant, and other authorized personnel. He also acknowledged receiving letters that introduced replacements for some key officials over time.
At a point during cross-examination, the prosecution objected to the defense’s questioning on who benefited from transactions, arguing that the witness was not a legal expert.
“The witness is not an expert of law,” Pinheiro argued. However, Justice Emeka Nwite countered, saying: “But the witness, as an expert, knows what to say.”
Bata, while describing his role, said he oversees a cluster of 13 Zenith Bank branches within Abuja and surrounding areas like Gwagwalada, University of Abuja, Baze University, and Garki. He clarified that his supervisory responsibilities do not extend beyond the Federal Capital Territory.
The alleged harassment initially raised by the EFCC was also addressed during the session.
While the EFCC lawyer had claimed that a security aide of the defendant harassed the witness, defense counsel Daudu expressed doubts, stating that he had always known his client to be a man of peace. He assured the court that he would investigate the claim and report back, a step which the judge also encouraged.
At the conclusion of the witness’s testimony, the court granted him permission to speak on the harassment allegation.
The defense counsel praised Bata for his integrity and courage in clarifying the matter.
Daudu then moved an application for the release of the defendant’s international passport, citing health concerns and the need for medical attention during the court vacation.
He reminded the court that the request was in line with the bail conditions, which required a formal application for international travel.
“He has medical needs to attend to during the period of the vacation. After eight years of not traveling, he needs to attend to certain aspects of his health,” Daudu submitted.
Pinheiro, however, objected, noting that the same application was pending before the FCT High Court.
He described it as a duplication of legal action and an abuse of court process. In response, Daudu accused the prosecution of being the one guilty of such abuse, and disclosed that they had already filed a further affidavit in response to the prosecution’s counter-affidavit, along with two additional exhibits.
The court adjourned the case to July 3 and 4 for continuation of the trial and to July 21 for a ruling on the passport application.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Justice Nwite had, on Thursday, rejected an attempt by the EFCC to cross-examine its third witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, an internal auditor with the American International School in Abuja.
Ojehomon had testified at an earlier hearing that no funds from the Kogi State Government or its local governments were transferred to the school’s account.