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Yahaya Bello Not Linked to Money Laundering, Lawyer Tells Court
A former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is not involved in any money laundering activities, his lawyer told the Federal High Court in Abuja. The defence described the case as politically motivated rather than a legitimate financial crime trial.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Daudu, made the statement on Wednesday while addressing Justice Emeka Nwite during the proceedings initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Daudu was cross-examining the EFCC’s seventh witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer from Access Bank Plc, who testified about financial transactions linked to the alleged offence.
Transactions Not Linked to Bello
The defence argued that documents presented by the prosecution did not connect Bello to any suspicious transactions. According to Daudu, the records showed payments made by local government authorities and private companies, not by the former governor.
During questioning, Egoro confirmed that Bello never served as a local government chairman in Kogi State. He also stated that the contracts under investigation were awarded by various local government chairmen.
The witness admitted that Bello’s name did not appear in Exhibit 33, the set of documents tendered by the prosecution, either as a sender or recipient. He described the entries involving Keyless Nature Limited as standard banking activities.
When asked about multiple payments made on October 11, 2022, from 21 local government areas into the company’s account, Egoro said he did not know the purpose of the transactions and could not confirm any business relationship between the local governments and the company.
He added that Access Bank had no court order or fraud report related to the transactions in Exhibit 33(11).
Payments for Legitimate Local Projects
Egoro also provided details about payments involving Fayzade Business Enterprise. These included:
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N4.4 million from Ogorimagongo Local Government for educational materials
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N7.5 million from Okehi Local Government for medical items
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N10.8 million from Omala Local Government for sporting equipment
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N12.2 million from Yagba Local Government for medical consumables
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Other transactions covered agrochemicals, farm inputs, and additional medical supplies
When asked if Bello was a local government chairman, the witness responded, “No, the defendant wasn’t a local government chairman.”
Defence Claims Political Motivation
During proceedings, EFCC counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, noted that money laundering cases can involve transactions that appear normal. Daudu countered this, insisting that the evidence did not support a money laundering charge.
“Not all casual statements are made to go without reply, my lord. Very soon, we will know that this is not a money laundering trial but a political trial,” Daudu said.
The court adjourned, with further proceedings expected on a later date.
