A prosecution witness in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s ongoing trial of former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that funds drawn from several local government accounts were used for procurement of supplies and services and did not link Bello to authorising the transactions, the witness said.
Yahaya Bello is standing trial on money laundering charges before the FCT High Court in Abuja. The charges relate to alleged misuse of funds from Kogi State local government accounts while Bello was governor. The prosecution is presenting bank records and transaction evidence as part of its case.
In criminal trials in Nigeria, prosecution witnesses present evidence such as bank statements and transaction histories to support allegations, while defence counsel may challenge the admissibility or interpretation of such documents.
Mr Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc and Prosecution Witness 10 (PW10), said that over ₦109 million traced to various local government accounts was applied to the purchase of agrochemicals, medical consumables, sports materials and relief supplies for the benefiting councils.
Egoro testified that he tendered 13 exhibits, including account opening documents and statements of account relating to the Kogi State Government House Administration and contractors linked to the transactions.
He confirmed the provisional admission of the documents, with their evidential value to be determined after defence objections.
Under cross-examination, the witness confirmed that Fazab Business Enterprise, a company whose records were tendered as Exhibit AP, had contractual relationships with several local government councils.
He confirmed specific payments, such as ₦14,453,900.84 on May 6, 2022, for the supply of reading materials to Okene Local Government Area.
Egoro also confirmed that Bello did not serve as chairman of any local government during the period covered by the bank records and did not present evidence linking Bello as a beneficiary or signatory who authorised the payments.
On transactions involving Westwood Motors Limited, the witness said several cash deposits were made into the company’s account by local governments described in the bank records as loan repayments, and he did not present evidence connecting Bello to those transactions.
The trial was adjourned to March 10, 11 and 12 for continuation of proceedings.
The witness’s testimony focuses on the use of local government funds for procurement of supplies and services, as reflected in bank records and contractor relationships. It also confirms that Bello’s name did not appear as a signatory or authoriser in the transactions cited by the prosecution witness.
Legal objections to the admissibility of documents illustrate standard procedures in criminal trials, where evidence is provisionally admitted and its weight later determined after arguments from both sides.
The continuation of the trial in March will include further testimony and legal argument on the evidence presented to date.
