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Tag: Yahaya Bello

Why School Withheld $84,942 from Yahaya Bello’s Children’s School Fees -Witness

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The trial of the former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello continued on Thursday, March 8, 2025 with the third Prosecution Witness, PW3, Nicholas Ojehomon, explaining under cross-examination before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja that the American International School, Abuja, AISA, retained part of the school fees linked to Bello’s daughters because it represented legitimate tuition fees earned by the institution. Findings by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC had shown that a total sum of $845,852.84 linked to proceeds of unlawful activities was paid to AISA for Bello’s children and demanded a full refund of it. However, only $760,910.84 was returned to the Commission by the school. The defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN had in the cross-examination, pressed the witness, an auditor with the school to account for the $84,942 difference in the amount paid to the school and what was refunded to the EFCC. In response, the witness explained that the refunded amount represented advance school fees paid for the children, while the retained sum was for tuition already rendered during the academic session. “The $760,910.84 was the portion of the school fees paid in advance, and it was refunded to the EFCC. The difference was the net fee due for the academic session, which the school retained as legitimate tuition,” he said. At a previous sitting, the witness had testified that all payments made to the school whether by individuals or by international companies were for the exclusive benefit of Bello’s children. He identified the children as Zara Omoneke Bello, Fatima Bello, Na’ima Ohunene Bello, and Farid Bello. He further stated that the school unilaterally opted to retain the balance based on its internal billing structure, and that no directive from the EFCC instructed them to withhold any part of the payment. As the cross-examination tended to go off the rails, prosecution counsel Olukayode Eniola, SAN objected, describing the line of questioning by the defence as an attempt to draw the witness into giving opinions beyond the scope of the documents before the court. “He is not standing trial and must be protected from speculative or prejudicial questioning,” he said. Following the objection, the defence sought adjournment to allow it time to review the next exhibit or alternatively, that the case be stood down for sometime. This drew the ire of the lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, who accused the defence of deliberately stalling the proceedings. The lead prosecution counsel further raised concerns about the inconvenience caused to prosecution witnesses by coming to court without having the opportunity to testify. “My lord, I’m worried that witnesses are leaving their places of work only not to be called upon in court. This is a case of high public interest. I have 28 witnesses and have only taken three,” he said. Justice Nwite in adjourning the matter till Friday, May 9, 2025 for continuation of cross-examination of the witness directed that all necessary reviews of documents and exhibits be completed ahead of the adjourned date to avoid further delays and to ensure a smooth continuation of the trial. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is prosecuting Yahaya Bello on a 19-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of N80.2 billion. The charges are in violation of Section 18(a) and are punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).

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Alleged N3bn Fraud: How Kogi State LG Funds were Laundered -Witness

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The Sixth Prosecution Witness, PW6, Remigius Egu in the trial of Ali Bello, Yakubu Isiaka Adabenege, Abba Adaudu and Iyada Sadat on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, narrated before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, how funds belonging to various Local Government Areas, LGAs, of Kogi State were allegedly diverted and laundered through private accounts. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is prosecuting the quartet on 18-count charges, bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of over N3 billion. Bello, the first defendant is nephew of the former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello as well as the current Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo. Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank identified documents marked “Exhibits E and E1” as having originated from Zenith Bank. He also confirmed that a letter dated March 16, 2022, addressed to the EFCC Zonal Commander, pertained to an account belonging to a customer, Adabenege, the second defendant, and contained transaction evidence from the bank. In his breakdown of the transactions, the witness told the court that multiple inflows of large sums of money from several Kogi State LGAs were traced to the account of Korforte Concept Limited on October 4, 2023. These he said were as follows: Ogori Magongo LGA: N14,844,640.57; Ibeji LGA: N18,629,944.51; Adavi LGA: N20,887,557.54; Kogi LGA: N17,929.59; Kabba/Bunu LGA: N18,460,569.12; Ajaokuta LGA: N22,764,334.70; Okene LGA: 20,758,710.37; Yagba West LGA: N18,234,063.61; Ofu LGA: N21,368,633.69. “My Lord, all the inflows were received on October 4, 2023,” he said. Before the inflows, the witness disclosed that the balance in the Korforte Concept Limited account was a mere N7,370 (Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Seventy Naira) and that on the same day, a transaction of N110 million was made from the account to Adaudu one of the defendants. He further revealed that on October 5, 2018, more funds were funnelled into the same account from additional LGAs that included: Igalamela/Odolu LGA: N19,480,651.20; Olamaboro LGA: N19,089,517.01; Dekina LGA: N23,373,201.67; Ibaji LGA: N15,653,631.39; Omala LGA: N16,876,252.03; Lokoja LGA: N20,591,073.74. He also disclosed that a transfer of N21.9 million to one Musa Omuya was made from the account that same day. Further in his testimony, the witness disclosed that there were more inflows into the account on October 8, 2018, being N17,369,243.52 from Ijumu LGA and N17,471,549.57 from Bassa LGA. On October 10, 2018, he said that transactions from the account showed N10 million, wired to Musa Omuya and N5.1 million and N5 million, respectively, wired to Adaudu. Earlier in the proceedings, the Fifth Prosecution Witness, PW5, Oyinkosola Akerele Shukurat, the Managing Director of Forza Oil and Gas Limited, disclosed that the company, which also engages in foreign exchange transactions, received a payment from a customer, named Abdul Bashir for the purchase of U.S. dollars. She further disclosed that the dollars that were procured were sent to four beneficiaries, three of whom were identified as Fatima Bello, Na’ima Bello, and Zara Bello, for the payment of their school fees at the American International School (AIS), totalling $139,000. When shown Page 14 and 15 of “Exhibit D” series, the witness identified a payment of $49,600, with $44,700 sent to AIS on behalf of Fatima Bello. On Page 23 of the same exhibit, she confirmed another $44,700 payment for Fatima Bello. The final transaction, according to her, was $44,700 for Na’ima Bello. She was cross-examined by defence counsel A.M. Aliyu, SAN and Nureini Jimoh, SAN. Justice Egwuatu adjourned the matter till May 5, 19, 20, and 21, 2025, for continuation of trial.

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Alleged N110b fraud: Why Yahaya Bello’s accomplice sought refund on property – Witness

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The trial of a former Kogi State governor, Yahya Adoza Bello, alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu continued on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, before Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court with the First Prosecution Witness, (PW1), Fabian Nwaora informing the court, that Yahaya Bello’s accomplice, Shehu Bello, opted for a refund from EFAB Property Limited, the sum of N550 million (Five Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) he paid for a property when he learned that the said property has come under the investigation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and linked to Yahaya Bello. The witness, Chairman of EFAB Property Limited, further disclosed that the property Shehu Bello bought was located at No.1 Ikogosi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, he narrated that “We put up a property for sale with a signboard of EFAB Property. That was in 2020. Shehu Bello came to my office and asked for the property. We discussed the price and we agreed on N550 million. He said he was going to come back the next day, I told him I was not going to be around on that day, then I introduced him to my General Manager (GM), Segun Adeleke. They both exchanged phone numbers. When I came back after one week, the GM reported to me that Shehu Bello had purchased the property. He brought the document for me to see on behalf of EFAB. The name on the agreement was Dr. Bello Ohiani not Shehu Bello. We signed and gave them back to sign and return a copy to us, no copy was returned. “After three years, Shehu Bello came back to me and said that the property was under investigation from the EFCC, he returned all the documents that I gave to him and said he would like to get his money back. I discussed it with my lawyer and he said since it was under investigation, they know that the EFCC will invite us,” he said. The witness further informed the court that they were invited by the EFCC to make statements and that his company, EFAB Property Limited was told by the Commission to pay in the money it received for the property to the EFCC’s account since the property was under investigation. “After writing the statement, the EFCC said the house was under investigation and that we should return the entire money to the EFCC account. They gave us the account number, we returned N400million, then the second batch we returned N150million. The house was marked, but when we returned the money, the EFCC said we can take over the house, since we have returned the money to them,” he said.

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Alleged N101.4bn fraud: Court orders service of hearing notice on Yahaya Bello

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Justice Maryanne Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, has directed that a hearing notice be served on Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi State, at his residence and on the court’s notice board. This follows his repeated failure to appear in court for arraignment on charges of fraud involving N101.4 billion. In a ruling on Thursday, November 14, 2024, Justice Anenih instructed that the hearing notice be pasted at Bello’s residence at No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, and displayed on the court’s notice board. The court issued this order as the public summons requiring Bello’s appearance is set to expire on November 17, 2024, allowing him a few remaining days to comply. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC requested an adjournment to allow Bello more time to respond to the public summons, which provides a 30-day period for his appearance. According to the counsel to the EFCC,  Jamiu Agoro, the option of issuing a warrant of arrest is premature as the 30-day compliance period has not yet expired. Justice Anenih thereafter granted the EFCC’s request for an adjournment, setting November 27, 2024, as the new date for Bello to appear in court for arraignment. Recall that the court had previously issued a public summons on October 3, 2024, after Bello failed to attend prior hearings related to the new 16-count charges filed against him by the EFCC. The charges include allegations of fraud amounting to N101.4 billion.

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Alleged N3b Fraud: I exchanged Naira for Dollars for Yahaya Bello – BDC Operator

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Jamilu Abdullahi, a Bureau de Change operator and the third prosecution witness in the trial of Ali Bello, on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, affirmed before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja that funds were brought to him by agents of Kogi State Government for the payment of school fees of the daughters of former governor, Yahaya Bello.

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Yahaya Bello hiding in Kogi’s government house kitchen  -Dino Melaye 

Our Reporters03 mins

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in 2023 Kogi State Governorship elections, Senator Dino Melaye has accused former Governor Yahaya Bello of hiding in the state’s government house kitchen to evade arrest by EFCC.  An elated Senator, who was reacting to his legal victory after six years, made this revelation on his X handle on Tuesday.  Melaye wrote; “After 6 years of legal battle with the Federal Government and IGP on 12 different frivolous cases, just to silence me and drown my voice.  “The last of the 12 cases was decided yesterday and I won it just like the other 11 before it. I was humiliated and detained 436 days between 2017 and 2019.  “Truth will always remain constant and for me it is a no retreat,no surrender situation. I will continue to speak the truth despite all odds.  “In an unjust society, silence is crime. Truth have no volume.  “I was humiliated and escaped 4 assassination attempts, to the glory of God, I am here today bouncing and making progress.  “No amount of threat, arrest or humiliation will break Dino because if you speak the truth, you will die,if you lie you will die, it is better to speak the truth and die.  “Bello, (Yahaya) who instigated these charges is a hunter, who has now become the hunted, hiding inside his successor’s  agbada or taking cover in the coven and the oven of Government House kitchen, to escape arrest. “This is what it means to be law-abiding. When your innocence is questioned, be available to prove your innocence.  “When you evade common invitation, resist arrest, or refuse to appear in court, you have pronounced yourself guilty!  “Truly, the guilty is afraid.  “Bello should do the right thing by showing up to explain how N110B moved from the state coffers to his pocket. That is the definition of good citizenship.”

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