The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presenting detailed evidence of multiple large cash withdrawals allegedly linked to Kogi State Government House accounts.
Bello, alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, faces a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to ₦110.4 billion.
At the resumed hearing, the sixth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, gave a detailed account of several withdrawals made from the state’s accounts between 2016 and 2018.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Bata testified that on February 12, 2016, the second defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu, made 21 withdrawals totaling ₦200 million. He added that similar withdrawals occurred on multiple occasions, including ₦100 million on March 10, ₦119 million on June 10, and ₦188 million on August 31 of the same year.
According to the witness, the withdrawals followed a consistent pattern throughout 2016 and 2017. On October 27, 2016, there were 21 withdrawals totaling ₦188.2 million, while on December 21, 2016, 40 withdrawals were made on the same day. The pattern continued into 2017 and 2018, with withdrawals of ₦203 million on May 9, ₦200 million on November 1, and over ₦1.09 billion withdrawn within four days in early February 2018.
Bata also identified several inflows to the accounts, including ₦50 million from Kogi State statutory revenue, ₦15.5 million from the Ministry of Finance, and ₦202.3 million from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service. He said these were often followed by multiple cash withdrawals and transfers to individuals and companies, including Echies Designs and Cost Associate Limited, Efab Properties, and several named individuals.
The EFCC also tendered statements from other accounts linked to the transactions, including a dollar account belonging to Whales Oil and Gas, from which $11,000 was transferred to Academic Services Farida Oricha at the American International School. Another account, Alyeshua Solutions Services, showed payments of $42,170 and $78,160 for Naima Ohunene Bello and Fatima Oziohu Bello respectively.
Following the witness’s testimony, defence counsel Abdullahi Yahaya, SAN, applied for an adjournment to enable the lead defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, to cross-examine the witness, citing the need to review the evidence.
However, Pinheiro opposed the request, arguing that the defence had no valid justification for the delay and that the EFCC was ready to proceed. “Adjournments should not be granted as a matter of routine unless there is a compelling reason,” he maintained.
After hearing both sides, Justice Anineh granted the adjournment “in the interest of justice,” rescheduling the cross-examination and continuation of trial for Thursday, November 13, 2025.
