The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday tendered additional bank documents in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, over the alleged diversion of ₦110.4 billion, as proceedings continued before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving the sum of ₦110.4 billion.
At the resumed hearing on January 15, 2026, the prosecution team, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for the continuation of the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness Six (PW6), Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, who was present in court.
Cross-examining the witness, counsel to the first and second defendants, J.B. Daudu, SAN, requested Exhibit S1 and sought clarification on the witness’s earlier testimony. Daudu asked: “At the beginning of your testimony, you said there are eight columns in the statement of account. By ‘description,’ what do you mean?”
Responding, Bata said: “It is the description of the transaction, my Lord.”
Referring the witness to page three of Exhibit S1, Daudu asked him to explain the entries contained therein. Bata told the court: “The first column shows an entry dated January 20, 2016, with the description: ‘Cq 158 Abdulsalami Hudu for ₦10,000,000.’”
He further identified another transaction, stating: “There is another entry which reads: ‘ZB chq 155 paid Halims Hotels and Tours, Lokoja, ₦2,454,400, my Lord.’”
When asked whether he knew the purpose for which the ₦10 million collected by Abdulsalami Hudu or the payment made to Halims Hotels and Tours was utilised, the witness replied: “I won’t know the purpose the ₦10,000,000 collected by Hudu and equally that of Halims Hotels, how it was spent and for which purpose.”
Daudu then requested Exhibit X1 and asked the witness to confirm whether his attention had been drawn to certain entries in the account. In response, Bata said: “It is the account opening document of a company with account number 1014878995, domiciled at the Lokoja branch of Zenith Bank.”
Further questioning the witness, Daudu asked whether there were 21 transactions between March 10 and March 12, 2016. Bata clarified: “The entries I started with were from November 14, 2016.”
Directing the witness to December 6, 2016, Daudu asked him to read the entries for that date. Bata stated: “The first entry on December 6, 2016 is a transfer from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, a credit of ₦74,378,483.20.”
He added: “The second entry on December 6, 2016 is a cheque paid to Mohammed Jami’u Sallau in the sum of ₦10,000,000, my Lord.”
When asked whether the statement of account indicated the purpose of the payment, the witness answered: “No, my Lord. Sorry, my Lord, looking at the narration, I would not decide the reason for the payment.”
He further stated that the same explanation applied to another credit entry of ₦10 million in favour of Mohammed Jami’u Sallau.
The witness was subsequently cross-examined by Z.B. Abbas, who appeared for A.M. Aliyu, SAN, counsel to the third defendant.
Abbas asked whether all withdrawals made by the third defendant were carried out through cheques. Bata responded: “Yes, my Lord, they were cheque withdrawals.”
He also confirmed the authenticity of the transactions, saying: “The cheques were duly signed by the authorised signatories.”
Responding to another question, the witness confirmed the nature of Exhibit X1, stating: “Yes, my Lord, Exhibit X1 is the statement of account of the Government House account.”
On Exhibit X2, Abbas asked whether the third defendant had been introduced to Zenith Bank as a civil servant and accountant. Bata answered: “Yes, my Lord, he is an accountant.”
The trial was adjourned to a later date for continuation.
Boluwatife Enome
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