A subpoenaed prosecution witness from Access Bank Plc, has told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, that the name of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello was not contained in any of the local government transactions under investigation.
Specifically, the witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc, said; “the name, ‘Yahaya Bello’ did not appear, either as sender or recipient of local governments funds.
He was testifying in the alleged N80.2bn money laundering case instituted against former governor Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
He further admitted under-cross examination by lead counsel to the former Governor, Joseph Daudu (SAN), that, on the face of Exhibit 33(11), the entries in the transactions between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited were consistent with normal banking transactions.
Daudu had in his cross-examination of the witness asked: “You drew my lord’s attention to a litany of payments from the 21 local government areas, for example, 11th October 2022, into Keyless account.
“Do you know the purpose of those entries or transactions?”
“No, my lord,” the witness responded.
Egoro, who is the 7th prosecution witness (PW7), admitted in court that the former governor did not serve as local government chairman in any of the local governments in Kogi State.
Prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), had told the court that what happened in the mode of payments by Local Government Areas in Kogi State was stealing by disguise.
Pinheiro added that the contracts in question were awarded by local government chairmen for various purposes to contractors as stated in the bank accounts of some companies tendered and admitted as exhibits by the court
However, under-cross examination by the defence team, the witness admitted that he did not know from the record whether there was any business or contractual relationship between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited.
The banker added that a customer had the right to spend his money anyhow he liked unless there was an issue of fraud.
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When asked by Daudu to confirm that in respect of transactions in Exhibit 33(11), his bank was not under court order and you have no report of fraud? The witness replied, “That is correct my lord.”
On payment made into one Fayzade Business Enterprise, the Defendant’s Counsel told the witness to look at the transaction of 6th May 2022, the 6th column.
The witness said it was an inflow from Okene Local Government Area.
He added that the purpose as stated was for the supply of reading materials.
Egoro listed the purposes of payments from Ogorimagongo, Okehi, Omala and Yagba LGAs as education materials (N4.4 million); medical items (N7.5 million); Sporting equipment (N10.8 million); and medical consumables (N12.2 million), respectively, among others.
The purposes of other payments ranged from agrochemicals to farm inputs and also medical consumables, according to the witness.
Daudu, SAN then asked, “Do you know if this defendant (Yahaya Bello) is a local government chairman and which local government in Kogi state?”
“No, the defendant wasn’t a local government chairman,” he responded.
Justice Emeka Nwite thereafter adjourned the case to 5th and 6th February, 2026 for continuation of trial.
