The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Friday, January 30, 2026, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with fresh testimony alleging that funds from the state’s local governments were channelled into multiple private bank accounts in a manner designed to evade regulatory scrutiny.
The seventh prosecution witness, PW7, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc, told the court that inflows from Kogi State local governments were paid into several private accounts through structured transactions deliberately kept below the reporting threshold to avoid filing Currency Transaction Reports (CTR) with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering involving ₦80.24 billion.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Egoro identified several bank statements tendered as exhibits, including an account domiciled at Access Bank’s National Assembly Branch in Abuja. He explained that a transaction dated March 21, 2018 reflected a loan disbursement, with subsequent entries showing interest and principal liquidations.
The witness also reviewed transactions between April and May 2020, disclosing that 21 separate cash deposits were made into an account at Access Bank’s Lokoja Branch, all below ₦10 million. He explained that ₦10 million is the reporting threshold for corporate accounts, adding that the deposits were structured to avoid mandatory CTR filings to the NFIU.
Although defence counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed, SAN, objected to the line of questioning, Justice Nwite overruled the objection, noting that the witness, as a banking professional, was competent to explain the transactions.
Egoro further testified on the statement of account of Keyless Nature Limited, which he said received multiple credit inflows from various Kogi State local governments between September 2021 and February 2024. He told the court that these inflows were followed almost immediately by transfers to another Keyless Nature Limited account domiciled at Fidelity Bank.
In addition, the witness identified the account of Hayzma Business Enterprise, also domiciled at Access Bank’s Lokoja Branch, stating that it received ₦813.77 million from several local governments in August 2020 alone. He added that ₦546.63 million was withdrawn in cash within 12 days by one Yakubu Siyaka during the same period.
Egoro also testified on another Keyless Nature Limited account which received a ₦2.1 billion loan disbursement in December 2021, followed by withdrawals exceeding ₦1.25 billion and subsequent inflows from local governments that continued up to February 2024.
At the close of proceedings, defence counsel requested more time to review the documents tendered by the witness ahead of cross-examination. The prosecution opposed the request, noting that the defence had been in possession of the documents for over a year.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case to February 4 and 5, 2026, for cross-examination of the witness and continuation of hearing.
