By Orkula Shagee
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, tendered in evidence before the Federal High Court in Abuja, series of exhibits that included bank statements, in an apparent bid to establish the money laundering case it filed against the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
One of the documents that were admitted in evidence by trial Justice Emeka Nwite, included the statement of account of Kogi State Government House.
A witness, Mrs. Williams Abimbola, who identified herself as a Compliance Officer with the United Bank for Africa, UBA, told the court that the exhibit which was in relation to the state’s account with No: 1003889575, was for a period that spanned from January 1, 2016, to January 31, 2024.
Mrs. Abimbola, who mounted the box as the second prosecution witness in the matter, PW-2, said the bank was served with a subpoena to produce the account details before the court.
Following a no objection stance by the ex-governor Bello’s team of lawyers led by Mr. J. B. Daudu, SAN, both the statement of account and the account opening package, were admitted in evidence by the court.
EFCC further tendered in evidence, another statement of account belonging to one Maselina Njoku.
It told the court that transactions in the account was for a period that began from January 1 to December 31, 2022.
The anti-graft agency also tendered the statement of account and account opening package of American International School, spanning from September 1, 2020, to September 30, 2020.
Meanwhile, earlier in the proceeding, the first witness, PW-1, Mr. Segun Adeleke, identified himself as the General Manager of EFAB Properties Limited, a company he said is into real estate and the development of turnkey projects in highbrow areas of Abuja like Maitama, Asokoro and Wuse.
Adeleke, in his Evidence-in-Chief, told the court that the EFCC invited him in relation to a property situated at No 1 Ikogosi Spring Close, Maitama Abuja, following which he made statements to the agency.
Narrating what he knew about the said property, the witness, who was led in evidence by EFCC’s counsel, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, said: “My lord, in 2020, while I was in the office, my Chairman, Chief Fabian Nwaora sent for me and introduced me to a young man by the name, Shehu Bello.
“Apparently, they had a discussion concerning the purchase of the property in question. He told me that the young man would be coming back to make payment of N550million for the property.
“When the young man came back later in the day, he came with US Dollars. At that point, we had to confirm the exchange rate, and the equivalent of N550m was paid.
“I saw Shehu Bello the third time when he brought a legal document for execution by EFAB properties.
Continuing his evidence, the witness said he was aware of another property located at House 12, 59 Crescent, 5th Avenue Gwarimpa, one of the estates managed by his company.
He said the second property was purchased by one Nuhu Mohammed for N70m in a one-off payment that was carried out through a bank transfer to our account.
“We also issued documents with respect to the properties. One of the documents was the payment receipt, while the second was the letter of allocation.
“Concerning the property we sold at Ikogosi, Maitama, after our company received the N550m, the usual practice was for us to handover the property. At this point, my Chairman, Chief Nwaora, had already signed the legal documents that were presented.
“We did the usual thing by handing over the property. With respect to the payment by Mohammed, I cannot immediately recall the bank he used to effect the transfer,” the witness added.
While being cross-examined, the witness told the court that throughout the whole transactions, he acted solely on instructions from his Chairman, Nwaora.
“I neither initiated the transaction nor had any prior discussion with Shehu Bello about the property.
“The property has one C-of-O, but it was partitioned to A and B. The first part of it is No 1 while the B part is No 3.
“For our purpose and documentations, we do not use House numbers and street names, rather, we use Plot No.
“The one we sold to Bello is the Part A. I cannot remember how much the N550m amounted to. I cannot remember the conversion rate at that time or the equivalent of the money in Dollars.
“What I can remember is that myself and Shehu Bello made enquires about the exchange rate.”
Asked if EFAB properties still have a copy of documents relating to the property, the witness said he believed they were with the EFCC.
“When the documents were brought to our office, the Chairman signed the part meant for EFAB Properties and gave the documents back to Shehu Bello for them to sign their own copies and send them back to us. But they did not send the documents back to us.
“Shehu Bello did not sign his own part in my presence and throughout these transactions, I did not set eyes on the defendant at anytime and his name did not appear anywhere in the title documents.”
Asked if he saw Shehu Bello in court before the proceeding started, the witness said: “My lord, I came on my own. But in this courtroom, I did not see him.”
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter till March 6 and 7 to enable the PW-2 to conclude her testimony.
The former governor, who piloted the affairs of Kogi state from 2016 to 2024, is answering to a 19-count charge bordering on alleged N80.2 billion fraud.
Specifically, EFCC alleged that he used five proxies to acquire 13 choice properties in highbrow areas of Abuja and Dubai.
It told the court that the properties were acquired with proceeds of crime.
Besides, the anti-graft agency alleged that the former governor attempted to conceal over N3bn by handing same to proxies to keep for him.
It further told the court that the defendant wired over $700, 000 to an account he maintained with a bank in the United States of America, USA, in breach of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.
Among those that were fingered in the alleged fraud, included the former governor’s nephew, Ali Bello and four others- Dauda Suleiman, Shehu Bello, Rabiu Musa and Abdulsalam Hudu who is currently at large.
According to the EFCC, the defendant, by his action, committed public breach of trust, contrary to section 18(a) and (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, and punishable under section 15 of the same Act.
The defendant had since pleaded not guilty to the charge, even as he was released on bail by the court, pending the determination of allegations against him.