The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, continued on Wednesday at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presenting more witnesses in its ongoing ₦110 billion fraud case.
Bello, who governed Kogi State between 2016 and 2024, is facing a 16-count charge of alleged money laundering filed by the anti-graft agency. He is being prosecuted alongside two former state officials, Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
Taking the stand as the third prosecution witness (PW3), Ms. Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), told the court that all transactions linked to her bank “followed due banking process” and that “no regulation was breached.”
Abimbola confirmed that one of the defendants, Hudu, made several withdrawals of ₦10 million each between July 31 and August 6, 2019. She, however, clarified that she could not confirm the purpose of those withdrawals.
Under cross-examination, she explained that while banks often query large electronic transfers, they do not do so for cash withdrawals. “A banker does not act as an internal auditor for customers,” she added.
She further confirmed that transfers were made from the account in tranches by one Bello Abdullateef on July 5, 2019, but maintained that UBA followed standard procedure in processing them.
According to Abimbola, “none of the withdrawals in the proof of evidence exceeded ₦10 million,” and that customers are “at liberty to withdraw their funds so long as the payment mandate is correct.”
When shown a statement reflecting the withdrawals, the witness admitted that the narration on the credit entry read “the governor’s security fund” and included a ₦100 million credit in two tranches of ₦50 million each. However, she said she was “not privy to the transaction details” and could not confirm whether the funds were used for security purposes.
Abimbola noted that she had never met Yahaya Bello or had any business dealings with him or the second defendant, Oricha.
Earlier in June 2025, another EFCC witness, Mashelia Arhyel Dada, a compliance officer at Zenith Bank, revealed how over ₦1.09 billion was withdrawn from the Kogi State Government House Administration Account within three days, in what the prosecution described as a breach of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cashless policy.
The EFCC, represented by Prof. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), continues to present evidence to substantiate its ₦110 billion fraud allegations against the former governor and his co-defendants.
About the Author
