Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to March 6 and 7, 2025, following proceedings led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The adjournment came after the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), presented two witnesses, one of whom appeared under subpoena.
The first witness, Segun Adelakun, the General Manager of EFAB Properties Limited, testified that Bello’s name did not appear on ownership records for two properties located at 1, Ikogosi Road, Maitama, and another in Gwarinpa.
He recounted that in 2020, his chairman, Chief Fabian Nwora, introduced him to a man named Shehu Bello, with whom he discussed the property purchase.
When asked about his interactions with Shehu Bello, Adelakun stated he had seen him three times—first for introduction, second for payment, and third for signing legal documents related to the EFAB property.
The EFCC lawyer also inquired about a property on 5th Avenue in Gwarinpa, to which the witness responded that it was purchased for N70 million by one Nuhu Mohammed via bank transfer. However, he could not recall which bank facilitated the payment.
During cross-examination, defense counsel Joseph Daudu questioned whether Adelakun had acted solely on instructions from his chairman, to which he affirmed.
He also confirmed that he did not personally initiate discussions with Shehu Bello, nor did he witness him signing transaction documents. Additionally, he stated that the defendant’s name did not appear on any transaction records.
The prosecution then presented a second witness under subpoena, Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer at United Bank for Africa (UBA). She submitted a subpoenaed document, which was admitted as “Exhibit 1.”
The witness detailed financial records requested by the subpoena, including the Kogi State Government House account statements from January 1, 2016, to January 31, 2024, and account statements of Maselina Njoku from January 1 to December 31, 2022. Other documents admitted in evidence included account opening details and statements for the American International School from September 1 to September 30, 2020.
Following these testimonies, Justice Nwite adjourned the case to March 6 and 7, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
