A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Daudu, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the ongoing trial of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, over alleged N80.2 billion corruption is politically motivated and not a genuine money-laundering case.
Daudu, who is counsel to Bello, made the submission on Wednesday during proceedings in the case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His argument followed comments by EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), who had described the pattern of payments from local government areas in Kogi State as “stealing in disguise.”
During the hearing, the seventh prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, admitted under cross-examination that Bello was not a local government chairman in any of Kogi State’s 21 local governments.
Egoro explained that the contracts linked to the transactions under investigation were awarded by local government chairmen to various contractors, as reflected in the bank statements tendered as exhibits.
The witness, who was subpoenaed from Access Bank, further confirmed that Bello’s name did not appear in any of the transactions involving the local governments, either as a sender or a recipient of funds.
He also admitted that the transactions captured in Exhibit 33(11), particularly those between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited, were consistent with normal banking operations.
When asked by Daudu whether he knew the purpose of several payments made on 11 October 2022 from the 21 local governments into the account of Keyless Nature Limited, the witness responded that he did not.
Egoro further stated that he could not ascertain from the records whether there was any contractual or business relationship between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited.
He acknowledged that customers are free to spend their money as they wish unless there is evidence of fraud, and confirmed that Access Bank was not operating under any court order nor had it reported any fraud in respect of the transactions in question.
On payments made to Fayzade Business Enterprise, the witness identified inflows from several local governments, including Okene LGA, noting that the stated purposes ranged from the supply of reading materials and educational items to medical supplies, sporting equipment, agrochemicals and farm inputs.
When asked directly whether Yahaya Bello was a local government chairman in Kogi State, the witness replied in the negative.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to 5 and 6 February 2026 for continuation of trial.
About The Author
