On Tuesday, the Federal High Court adjourned the N80 billion money laundering trial of Yahaya Bello, the former Kogi State governor, until January 29.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the former governor on 19-count charges of money laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,088.
During Tuesday’s hearing at the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, the seventh prosecution witness narrated how millions of naira were moved in and out of the statutory account of local government areas in Kogi.
“The Seventh Prosecution Witness, PW7, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, while being led in the continuation of his testimony by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, identified several bank documents already tendered and admitted in evidence by the court, including Exhibits 34(1) and 34(2), which he described as the Kogi State Government House Account Administrative Opening Package and the Kogi State Government House Administrative Statement of Account from January 1, 2016, to January 31, 2024, respectively, which he admitted related to the same account,” stated the EFCC.
“Pinheiro drew the witness’s attention to transactions dated December 21, 2018, where Egoro confirmed a series of cash withdrawals in favour of Aminu Jimoh Olarenwaju.”
The witness told the court that there was a cash withdrawal of N10 million in favour of an individual named Olarenwaju on December 21, 2018, and two additional lodgements of N10 million each to the same beneficiary that same day. The same beneficiary received five cash payments of N10 million each on December 24, 2018, and a total of N100 million went to the same account holder on March 8, 2019.
EFCC’s statement issued on the matter reads, “The witness also disclosed that on August 1, 2019, the account recorded 30 cash withdrawals of N10 million each, totalling N300 million, in favour of Abdulsalami Hudu.
“He further disclosed that on July 31, 2019, the account received N300 million, and by August 1, 2019, the same amount was withdrawn in cash, a pattern he described as ‘suspicious’.
“The prosecution further presented Exhibit 33(8), being the statement of account of Faza Business Enterprise, covering January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022, which the witness confirmed as originating from Access Bank.
“Reviewing transactions on May 6, 2022, Egoro told the court that the account, which previously had a balance of N75,728, received multiple inflows from statutory revenue and VAT accounts of 11 local governments of Kogi State. These included Omala, Yagba West, Idah, Okene, Ijumu, Olamaboro, Ofu, Okehi, and Ogori-Magongo, among others, totalling N103,375,059.75 on that single day.”
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It was also revealed that N7.4 million and N7.1 million were received from Ibaji and Dekina Local Government Councils on May 9, 2022, which made the total sum received from 13 LGAs about N117 million.
The EFCC said the witness noted that “the funds were later withdrawn in cash by one Yakubu Adebenege Siyaka through cheque transactions between May 9 and May 26, 2022, leaving a closing balance of about N1.4 million”.
Following the testimony of the 7th prosecution witness, Justice Nwite, the presiding judge, adjourned the matter until January 29 and 30, and February 4 and 5, for continuation of the trial.
