The Resumption of the Trial of Kogi State’s Former Governor
The trial of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, resumed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday. This session saw the testimony of the third prosecution witness, Ms. Abimbola Williams, a bank’s Compliance Officer, who provided critical evidence regarding financial transactions linked to the Kogi State Government House account.
Williams testified that N640 million was withdrawn from the account in 64 tranches of N10 million each within six days. These withdrawals were executed through cheque transactions by the former Chief Accountant at the Kogi Government House, Abdulsalami Hudu, between July 31 and August 6, 2019. She confirmed this during her testimony, which was led by EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).
Bello, Hudu, and the Director-General of the Kogi Government House Administration, Shaibu Oricha, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice Maryanne Anenih for alleged fraud involving N110.4 billion.
During cross-examination by defence counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN), Williams clarified that although she served as a Compliance Officer, she was not the Relationship Manager or Account Officer handling the daily operations of the account. She also stated that customers could withdraw any amount as long as proper mandates were followed.
Williams explained that while the bank requires customers to state the purpose of high-value transfers, it does not make such inquiries for cash withdrawals. She further emphasized that the bank did not breach any financial regulations in allowing the transactions.
She listed the authorised signatories on the Kogi Government House account as of 2004, including Christopher Enefola (Permanent Secretary), Onekutu Daniel (Chief Accountant), and Abdulsalami Hudu (Accountant). Later, in 2008, Elder P.S. Ocheni, Abbas Ibrahim Abubakar, and Hudu were added to the list.
Under cross-examination by counsel for the third defendant, A.M. Aliyu, Williams confirmed seeing a credit entry described as “Governor’s Security Fund” in the bank statement. However, when asked if the withdrawn funds were used for security purposes, she replied that she was not privy to the details of the transaction and could not categorically answer.
After Williams’ testimony, the EFCC called its fourth subpoenaed witness, Jesutoni Akoni, a Compliance Officer with another bank. Akoni presented a 13-page document detailing cash deposits into a Kogi Government account, including amounts from Moses Wanzu, Abdulwahab Sabo, and Shehu Bello, totaling about N57 million.
However, Aliyu objected to the admissibility of the document, arguing that it did not comply with the provisions of the Evidence Act. Under cross-examination, Akoni said she did not know the defendants personally or the source and purpose of the funds.
The prosecution later called its fifth witness, another banker identified as Mrs. Victoria Oluwafemi. Earlier, Daudu informed the court of a pending application challenging the court’s jurisdiction and urged Justice Anenih to take the motion before continuing with witness examination.
“We urge Your Lordship to give us a date so we can address the issue of jurisdiction,” he said. But Pinheiro opposed the request, insisting the application was not ripe for hearing. “We’ve been in court for over a year, and now they are raising jurisdiction. The matter can wait until November 12,” he argued.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to October 9, 2025, for continuation of the trial.
Key Points from the Testimony
- Ms. Abimbola Williams, a Compliance Officer, testified about 64 transactions of N10 million each, totaling N640 million, withdrawn from the Kogi State Government House account by Abdulsalami Hudu.
- The withdrawals occurred between July 31 and August 6, 2019.
- The prosecution is led by EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN).
- The defendants include Yahaya Bello, Abdulsalami Hudu, and Shaibu Oricha.
- Williams clarified that she was not the Relationship Manager or Account Officer handling the account’s daily operations.
- The bank did not breach any financial regulations in allowing the transactions.
- The authorised signatories on the account included various officials over time.
- A credit entry described as “Governor’s Security Fund” was noted in the bank statement, but the purpose of the funds remains unclear.
- The prosecution introduced a 13-page document detailing cash deposits into the Kogi Government account, but the defence challenged its admissibility.
- The court adjourned the trial to October 9, 2025, for further proceedings.
