The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, over alleged money laundering of ₦80.2 billion continued on Thursday before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with detailed testimony on the movement of local government funds into private company accounts.
Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering totalling ₦80,246,470,088.88.
Prosecution Witness Seven (PW7), Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, while testifying under examination by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, gave an extensive breakdown of financial transactions involving the accounts of Fazab Business Enterprise and E-Traders International Limited, which he said received funds traced to Kogi State local government councils.
Egoro told the court that on May 6, 2022, the Fazab Business Enterprise account received 11 inflows from several Kogi local governments, including Yagba East, Yala, Ida and Okene. He added that on May 9, 2022, two additional inflows came from Ibaji and Dekina Local Government Areas.
According to him, the total inflow on May 6 stood at ₦103,375,059.73, while the two inflows on May 9 amounted to ₦14,563,702.56, bringing the total inflow within the period to ₦117,938,762.29.
The witness further testified that almost the entire sum was subsequently withdrawn in cash. He identified Yakubu Siyaka A. as the individual who made repeated cash withdrawals between May 9 and May 26, 2022, amounting to ₦116.6 million, leaving a balance of about ₦1 million in the account by the end of the month.
Egoro told the court that similar patterns of inflows from Kogi local governments and cash withdrawals continued in June and July 2022, with total inflows of ₦250.51 million and cash withdrawals of ₦198.9 million. He said the trend persisted from August to December 2022, during which ₦2.19 billion was credited to the account.
In total, he said ₦2.56 billion was paid into the Fazab Business Enterprise account from Kogi State local governments between May and December 2022. He added that cash withdrawals within the same period amounted to ₦582.3 million, alongside several large transfers to companies and individuals, including payments running into hundreds of millions of naira.
Turning to the account of E-Traders International Limited, Egoro testified that between July 26, 2021 and April 6, 2022, a total of ₦3,145,569,654 was deposited in cash into the account within about eight months. He said the deposits were made in multiple tranches, mostly in sums not exceeding ₦10 million, by Abba Adaudu, Abdullahi Jamilu, Yusuf Abba and Haruna Mohammed.
He told the court that all the cash lodgments were made at the Lokoja Branch of Access Bank, although the E-Traders account was opened at the Mararaba Branch in Nasarawa State.
At the close of proceedings, defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, informed the court of an application seeking the release of Bello’s international passport to enable him undertake the lesser Hajj during Ramadan. The prosecution said it was not opposed but requested that the Federal Capital Territory High Court, where Bello is facing another trial, be formally notified.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case to Friday, January 30, 2026, for the continuation of PW7’s testimony and further hearing.
