Yahaya Bello’s Trial Is Politically Motivated, Not Money Laundering Case — Defence Tells Court

The ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, as his lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, argued that the case against his client is driven by political considerations rather than genuine allegations of money laundering. The submission was made during the cross-examination of a key prosecution witness presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Daudu made the argument while questioning Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc, who appeared as the seventh prosecution witness. Egoro had been subpoenaed by the EFCC to tender banking and transactional documents related to the alleged ₦80.2 billion fraud case involving the former governor.

Under cross-examination, the witness acknowledged that the contracts and transactions forming the basis of the prosecution’s case were executed by local government chairmen across Kogi State. According to Egoro, these details were clearly reflected in documents tendered by the EFCC and admitted as Exhibit 33. Crucially, he confirmed that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear anywhere in the exhibit, either as the sender or recipient of the funds under investigation.

“The name ‘Yahaya Bello’ does not appear either as sender or recipient,” Egoro told the court, a statement that the defence seized upon to bolster its claim that the former governor was being unfairly linked to transactions he neither authorized nor directly benefited from.

Further testimony revealed that entries contained in Exhibit 33(11), which detailed financial transactions between several local government councils and a company identified as Keyless Nature Limited, appeared to be routine banking activities. When pressed by Daudu on whether he could determine the purpose of the transactions from the records, Egoro admitted that he could not establish the specific nature of any contractual relationship between the local governments and the company.

The witness also agreed that, as far as the bank was concerned, there was no report of fraud linked to the transactions and that the bank was not acting under any court order at the time the payments were made. He reiterated a fundamental banking principle: customers are entitled to utilize their funds as they deem fit, provided the transactions are not fraudulent.

In addressing other payments scrutinized by the prosecution, Egoro explained that funds transferred to Fayzade Business Enterprise from Okene Local Government Area on May 6, 2022, were designated for the supply of reading materials. He went on to outline additional payments from other local governments for specific purposes, including educational materials, medical supplies, sporting equipment, agrochemicals, and farm inputs, with amounts ranging from several million naira to over ₦12 million for medical consumables.

When asked directly whether Yahaya Bello held any position as a local government chairman, Egoro responded in the negative, reinforcing the defence’s position that Bello could not be directly responsible for decisions taken at the local government level.

The proceedings briefly took on a tense tone when EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, interjected, noting that money laundering transactions are often structured to appear legitimate. He cautioned the court against drawing conclusions based solely on the surface appearance of the payments. In response, Daudu dismissed the assertion, insisting that the case lacked the hallmarks of a genuine money laundering prosecution and was instead a politically motivated trial.

“Very soon, we will know that this is not a money laundering trial but a political trial,” Daudu told the court.

Meanwhile, the defence attempted to tender certified true copies of documents obtained from separate court proceedings. Although the prosecution raised no objection to the substance of the documents, it challenged their admissibility on procedural grounds, citing the absence of receipts evidencing payment for the certified copies. The presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, upheld the objection, ruling that the documents could only be admitted upon presentation of the required receipts.

Daudu subsequently informed the court that efforts were underway to retrieve the necessary receipts. Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to February 5 for the continuation of the cross-examination.

The case has continued to generate widespread public debate, reflecting deep-seated concerns about accountability, judicial integrity, and the politicization of anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria. As proceedings resume, the court’s eventual findings are expected to play a significant role in shaping public confidence in the country’s fight against corruption and the rule of law.