Yahaya Bello’s N80.2bn trial political, not money laundering – SAN tells court
By Our Correspondent, Abuja
Yahaya Bello’s ongoing trial over alleged N80.2 billion fraud is politically motivated and not a genuine money laundering case, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Daudu, counsel to the former Kogi State governor, told the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Daudu made the submission during Wednesday’s proceedings in the money laundering suit filed against Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His clarification came after EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), described payments from Kogi’s 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) as “stealing by disguise.”
The seventh prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc, admitted under cross-examination by Daudu that Bello never served as an LGA chairman in Kogi State.
Egoro, subpoenaed by the EFCC, confirmed that the contracts in question were awarded by LGA chairmen to companies for stated purposes, as reflected in bank records tendered and admitted as exhibits.
He reiterated that Bello’s name did not appear in any LGA transactions, neither as sender nor recipient.
The witness also agreed that entries in Exhibit 33(11), involving payments from LGAs to Keyless Nature Limited, were consistent with normal banking practices.
When Daudu drew the court’s attention to payments like one on October 11, 2022, into Keyless’s account, Egoro said he did not know their purpose or any contractual link between the LGAs and the company.
He affirmed that bank customers can spend funds as they wish absent fraud reports, and Access Bank faced no court orders or fraud alerts on those transactions.
On inflows to Fayzade Business Enterprise, such as N4.4 million from Ogorimagongo LGA for education materials, N7.5 million from Okehi for medical items, N10.8 million from Omala for sporting equipment, and N12.2 million from Yagba for medical consumables, Egoro listed purposes including agrochemicals and farm inputs.
Daudu asked: “Do you know if this defendant (Yahaya Bello) is a local government chairman and which one in Kogi State?” Egoro replied: “No, the defendant wasn’t a local government chairman.”
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the trial to February 5 and 6, 2026, for continuation.
