The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in an alleged money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The hearing is set to continue on March 7, 2025.
During Thursday’s session, EFCC Counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, called Williams Abimbola, a Compliance Officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), to testify.
Abimbola confirmed that the bank had received an additional subpoena requesting account statements for Maselina Njoku from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020.
The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, admitted the subpoena as ‘Exhibit 7’.
The witness further revealed that 10 withdrawals of ₦10 million each were made in favor of Abdulsalam Hudu on December 12, 2018, using cheques presented at the bank.
However, under cross-examination, she stated that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear in the documents related to the account’s opening or transactions.
She also clarified that she was not the account officer for the Kogi Government House account, which is domiciled in Lokoja, while she works at the bank’s Area 3 branch in Abuja.
Defense Counsel Joseph Daudu, SAN, asked the witness if her role as a compliance officer involved safeguarding the bank from legal, financial, and reputational risks, to which she agreed.
When requested to check the documents and confirm if Yahaya Bello’s name appeared, she confirmed it did not. With this, the defense concluded its cross-examination.
The EFCC, however, proceeded with a re-examination, during which the witness stated that she had signed a document on behalf of one Edward Bananga.
The defense objected and sought to cross-examine her again, arguing that she initially denied signing the document but later admitted it under re-examination.
When asked directly if she was Edward Bananga, she admitted she was not.
Additionally, the prosecution introduced another witness, Nicholas Ohehomon, from the American International School.
Several exhibits were presented, including school account statements, admission letters for the defendant’s children, and payment receipts.
A contractual agreement for post-paid school fees was also submitted as Exhibit 12P. The EFCC further tendered a letter sent to the school, marked as Exhibit 18, along with an account for a refund.
Following these proceedings, the court scheduled the next hearing for March 7, 2025, at 10 a.m.