An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), John Justice, has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, that most funds credited to the accounts of companies investigated in the alleged ₦110.4 billion fraud case involving former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello originated from local government accounts in the state.
Justice disclosed this on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, while testifying as the prosecution’s 20th witness (PW20) before Justice Maryanne Anineh.
Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving ₦110.4 billion.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the witness said investigators obtained records of inflows and outflows from several companies as part of efforts to trace the movement of funds through their accounts.
He explained that responses received from the banks were analysed, leading investigators to identify Keyless Ventures as another company that allegedly benefited from proceeds traced to the companies under investigation.
Justice said an analysis of the statement of account of Forza Business Enterprise showed that most of the funds credited to it came from Kogi State local government accounts on a monthly basis.
“Most of the funds coming into the account were funds from Kogi State Local Government accounts coming on monthly basis,” he told the court.
The witness further said the investigation revealed that the companies received funds from Kogi State, with transactions recorded as cash withdrawals.
“Our analysis reveals that these companies were receiving inflow from Kogi State while transactions were treated as cash withdrawals,” he said.
According to him, the EFCC subsequently invited officials of Access Bank and Zenith Bank and requested closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to investigate the large volumes of cash recorded in the transactions.
He told the court that the footage showed that the substantial sums recorded as withdrawals were not physically taken out of the banks.
Explaining the process, Justice said a customer could enter a bank, fill out a cheque withdrawal slip and complete a deposit slip for a different account, suggesting that the transactions involved transfers rather than physical cash withdrawals.
Earlier in his testimony, the witness said the investigation followed intelligence received by the EFCC’s Procurement Fraud Section concerning the activities of local governments in Kogi State.
He identified companies mentioned in the intelligence as Hayzma, Bibas Energy, Forza Oil and Gas, and Keyless Ventures.
Justice said investigators conducted Bank Verification Number (BVN) searches and wrote to the relevant banks for information, which was subsequently analysed.
When asked by Pinheiro to examine Exhibits AU, AT, AP and AO and confirm their connection to the investigation, the witness said the documents were relevant to the case. He identified Exhibit AO as relating to Hayzma Business Enterprise, Exhibit AT as Keyless Nature, and Exhibit AP as Forza Business Enterprise.
He also told the court that a BVN search relating to Keyless Nature returned the name Abba Adaudu, while earlier searches had produced the names Yakubu Siyaka Adebenege and Iyadat Sa’adat.
Justice, who said he had served as an EFCC operative for more than nine years, disclosed that he had received training at the commission’s academy in asset tracing, internet fraud, anti-money laundering, advance-fee fraud and other areas.
He confirmed his participation in the investigation involving the defendants and identified Emeka Okonjo, Adamu Umar, Hamza Lawal and Dauda Usman as members of the investigation team.
He also mentioned the EFCC’s Chairman Monitoring Unit, headed by Adamu Tilde, with Audu Abubakar and Yazid Bawa among its members.
Earlier, counsel to the first and second defendants, J.B. Daudu, SAN, and counsel to the third defendant, Z.E. Abbas, concluded their cross-examination of the 19th prosecution witness, Jamilu Abdullahi, a Bureau de Change operator.
Following the prosecution’s decision not to conduct a re-examination, Abdullahi was discharged after his testimony.
Justice Anineh adjourned the trial to November 24, December 2 and December 8, 2026, for continuation.
The allegations against Bello and his co-defendants remain before the court.
