The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, over an alleged ₦80.2 billion fraud continued on Thursday before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with a prosecution witness testifying on a ₦46.5 million transfer to the American International School.
Bello is facing a 19-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for money laundering totaling ₦80,246,470,088.88.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution’s eighth witness (PW8), Gabriel Ochoche, a compliance officer with First City Monument Bank (FCMB), testified pursuant to a court-issued subpoena. The subpoena was admitted in evidence without objection from the defence.
Ochoche told the court that several transactions from an account under investigation were linked to educational institutions, including the American International School. He identified a ₦30 million transfer on November 1, 2021, and another ₦16,505,400 transfer to the same school, bringing the total to ₦46,505,400.
The witness confirmed that he had in court the statement of account, certificate of compliance, and account opening documents of Kunfayakun Global Limited (Account No. 7819613011), covering transactions from June 1, 2021, to August 31, 2022. These documents were admitted as Exhibit 37. Ochoche clarified that the statement covered the period from June 29, 2021, to December 31, 2024.
Explaining the statement, Ochoche said it included columns for date, reference, description, value date, deposit, withdrawal, and balance. Reading from Exhibit 37, he highlighted major inflows, including a ₦700 million NIP transfer from Keyless Nature Limited on December 15, 2021, and a ₦400 million RTGS transfer on December 17, 2021, from Access Bank on the company’s order.
The witness also noted multiple transfers from Gadonkaya Global Concept into Kunfayakun Global Limited’s account on November 2, 2021—₦10 million, ₦10 million, and ₦8.96 million—followed by an outflow of ₦34,506,600 to “American School and China Payment/Abdul Bashir.”
Ochoche further testified that on February 18, 2022, the account received six separate ₦100 million NIP transfers from Ejadams Essence Limited, totaling ₦600 million. An RTGS inflow of ₦325 million was also recorded on February 21, 2022, with a value date of February 18, 2022, from Access Bank on Ejadams Essence Limited’s order.
Earlier in the proceedings, Prosecution Witness 7 (PW7), Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, continued testimony under cross-examination. Egoro confirmed an outflow of ₦20 million on June 22, 2022, for the supply of educational materials, but could not identify the beneficiary. He also acknowledged that Yakubu Siyaka made multiple cash withdrawals totaling over ₦552 million between January 9, 2019, and December 30, 2022.
Egoro explained that while customers can use their funds as they wish, banks have a reporting obligation when transactions are unusual or fit money laundering typologies.
The trial was adjourned to a later date for continuation.