The ₦110.4 billion corruption trial involving former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has been adjourned yet again as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented new evidence before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
Justice Maryann Anenih, who presided over Thursday’s session, fixed November 12 and 13, 2025, for the continuation of the case after the anti-graft agency concluded the testimony of its sixth prosecution witness.
Bello, who is facing a 16-count charge alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, stands accused of criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving funds allegedly diverted from Kogi State’s coffers.
During Thursday’s hearing, a compliance officer with Polaris Bank, Victoria Oluwafemi, took the witness stand and revealed key details about financial transactions linked to the case. According to her, the accounts under EFCC scrutiny received several large inflows — many in repeated sums of ₦10 million — amounting to a total of ₦450 million in November 2021.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN), Oluwafemi admitted that she was neither the account officer nor the relationship manager of the accounts, meaning she was not directly involved in authorising or monitoring the transactions.
The defence team, led by Daudu and A.M. Aliyu, objected to the EFCC’s attempt to tender certain documents, arguing that they did not comply with Sections 83 and 84 of the Evidence Act. However, EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), urged the court to admit the evidence, describing it as crucial to the case. Justice Anenih later ruled in favour of the EFCC, admitting a 218-page statement of account belonging to Alusha Services as Exhibit P1.
Further analysis of the evidence revealed a series of large financial transactions dating between 2016 and 2022, many of which involved structured cash withdrawals of ₦10 million each. The court also heard that in December 2016 alone, about ₦202 million was credited from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service to one of the suspect accounts.
Earlier in the week, another prosecution witness, Abimbola Williams, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), had narrated how large sums were withdrawn in tranches of ₦10 million from government accounts allegedly linked to Bello’s administration. According to her, between December 2018 and August 2019, multiple withdrawals amounting to hundreds of millions of naira were made in favour of an individual named Abdulsalam Gudu.
Similarly, Jesutomi Akonni, a compliance officer from Ecobank, testified that between February and March 2016, several hefty deposits — ₦15 million, ₦19 million, and ₦20 million — were made into an account belonging to Moses Wanzo by individuals linked to the former governor’s circle.
As the day’s proceedings progressed, Daudu reminded the court of a pending application challenging its jurisdiction, insisting that the matter should be addressed before continuing with witness testimonies. Pinheiro opposed the motion, accusing the defence of employing delay tactics to frustrate the case, which has already been in court for over a year.
With the day’s session closing around 3 p.m., Justice Anenih adjourned the case to November 12 and 13 for the continuation of the examination of the sixth prosecution witness.
The high-stakes trial has become one of Nigeria’s most closely watched corruption cases, as the EFCC continues to trace billions allegedly siphoned from state accounts during Bello’s tenure as governor. While the anti-graft agency insists on the authenticity of its findings, Bello’s legal team maintains that the charges are politically motivated and lacking in merit.