Court Adjourns Yahaya Bello’s Money Laundering Trial To January 29

The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the ongoing money laundering trial involving the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to January 29, 30, and February 4 and 5, 2026, for continuation.

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the proceedings to allow the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), to conclude the examination of the seventh prosecution witness, Olomotame Egoro, a Compliance Officer with Access Bank.

During Tuesday’s session, the prosecution sought to tender several documents marked as Exhibits 33 (1–11) and 34 while leading the witness in evidence. However, the defence counsel, Abdullahi Yahaya (SAN), objected, arguing that the exhibits being presented were unfamiliar to the defendant. He further pointed out that the certificate attached to the document, dated the 17th, was signed by one Faruk Idiaro rather than the witness in the box, adding that the proof of evidence served on the defendant differed from what was being tendered.

Responding, Pinheiro insisted that while the certificate of identification might differ, the accompanying documents remained identical. He then urged the court to briefly stand down the matter to allow the defence to verify the documents.

Justice Nwite stood down the proceedings briefly for both parties to reconcile their positions. Upon resumption, the witness confirmed that the statement of account contained seven columns and explained the details of each.

Egoro reviewed the statement of the Kogi State Government House Administration account from December 2018 to August 2021, identifying multiple cash withdrawals, including payments of N50 million to one Aminu J.O. in N10 million tranches and withdrawals in favour of Abdulsalam Hudu on August 1, 2019.

He also examined Exhibit 33-8, which detailed transactions from Fazac Business Enterprise between January 2019 and December 2022. The witness noted several inflows from local government accounts, including sums ranging between N4.49 million and N14.45 million on May 6, 2022, as well as additional transfers of N7.12 million and N9.4 million on May 9, 2022.

After reviewing the records, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to the new dates for further hearing.

At the previous session, the EFCC’s fourth prosecution witness, Mshelia Arhyel Bata, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank, reaffirmed during cross-examination that the withdrawals made by the state government did not breach any banking regulations. She also confirmed that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear as a beneficiary in the account presented as evidence.