The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, over the alleged ₦110.4 billion fraud continued on Thursday, January 15, 2026, before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presenting additional bank documents as evidence.
Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering. The EFCC alleges that the offences involve the diversion of public funds amounting to ₦110.4 billion.
At the resumed hearing, lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that proceedings were scheduled to continue with the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness Six (PW6), Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, the witness was questioned on entries contained in Exhibit S1, a statement of account earlier tendered by the prosecution. Bata explained that the “description” column reflected the nature of transactions, citing entries showing cheque payments, including a ₦10 million cheque issued to Abdulsalami Hudu and another payment of over ₦2.4 million to Halims Hotels and Tours in Lokoja.
The witness, however, told the court that he could not determine the purpose for which the funds withdrawn or paid to the hotel were used, as such information was not contained in the bank records.
Daudu also drew the witness’s attention to Exhibit X1, identified as the account opening documents of a company domiciled at Zenith Bank’s Lokoja branch. Bata confirmed several credit and debit entries, including a transfer of ₦74.37 million from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service on December 6, 2016, and subsequent cheque payments of ₦10 million to Mohammed Jami’u Sallau. He maintained that the narrations did not disclose the specific purpose of the payments.
Counsel to the third defendant, Z.B. Abbas, cross-examined the witness on the operation of the Government House account. Bata confirmed that withdrawals by the third defendant were made through cheques duly signed by authorised signatories and that the defendant had been introduced to the bank as an accountant. An attempt to suggest that the defendant merely acted in the course of official duty drew an objection from the prosecution, which Justice Anineh upheld.
The witness further testified on multiple inflows described as security funds and special security votes, running into tens of millions of naira, followed by withdrawals by the third defendant. He confirmed that the account statements originated from Zenith Bank but said he could not interpret certain abbreviations used in the narrations.
Following the conclusion of PW6’s testimony, the prosecution indicated it had no re-examination, and the witness was discharged.
The EFCC then called Prosecution Witness Seven (PW7), Mohammed Bello Hassan, an executive trainee with Keystone Bank, who appeared pursuant to a subpoena. He tendered a statement of account of Dantata and Sawoe Construction covering January to December 2021, alongside compliance documents. Despite objections from the defence, the court admitted the documents in evidence.
PW7 testified that the account reflected multiple credit entries of ₦10 million each in February 2021, amounting to ₦100 million, transferred by individuals identified as Maigari Murtala and Yusuf Mubarak. Under cross-examination, he admitted he was not the account officer and had no personal knowledge of the account holders or signatories.
Prosecution Witness Eight (PW8), Gabriel Ocha, a compliance officer with FCMB, also testified under subpoena. He tendered documents relating to Kunfayakun Global Limited for the period between 2018 and 2024. The witness identified transactions including a ₦30 million debit in favour of the American International School and several transfers running into millions of naira from different entities.
The prosecution further called Prosecution Witness Nine (PW9), A.D. Ojoma, a compliance officer with Sterling Bank, who tendered the statement of account of Bespoke Business Solutions Limited. He identified several large credit entries, including payments from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service in excess of ₦100 million, as well as funds described as commissions and contractor payments.
Justice Anineh admitted the documents in evidence despite objections from the defence and adjourned the matter until Friday, January 16, 2026, for continuation of trial.
