Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, on money laundering charges to March 6 and 7, 2025.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought the case against Bello, alleging financial misconduct during his tenure.
The adjournment came after the prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kemi Pinheiro, presented two witnesses, including one under subpoena.
The first witness, Segun Adelakun, General Manager of EFAB Properties Limited, testified that Yahaya Bello’s name was not associated with two properties under scrutiny—one located at 1, Ikogosi Road, Maitama, and another in Gwarinpa. Adelakun recounted that in 2020, his chairman, Chief Fabian Nwora, introduced him to a certain Shehu Bello, who negotiated the purchase of one of the properties.
Under questioning, Adelakun confirmed that he met Shehu Bello on three occasions: first for introductions, second for payment, and third for signing legal documents related to the property.
When asked about a different property at 5th Avenue, Gwarinpa, he disclosed that it was bought for N70 million by Nuhu Mohammed via bank transfer. However, he could not recall which bank facilitated the transaction.
During cross-examination, defense counsel Joseph Daudu probed whether Adelakun acted solely on his chairman’s instructions, to which he affirmed.
Additionally, Adelakun admitted that he never met Yahaya Bello during the transactions and that the defendant’s name did not appear in any documents submitted to the EFCC.
The prosecution introduced a second witness, Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer from United Bank for Africa (UBA), who appeared with a subpoenaed document.
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The defense initially objected to the late introduction of the witness but did not seek to delay the proceedings.
Abimbola presented financial documents, including statements of the Kogi State Government House account from January 2016 to January 2024, as well as account records for individuals and institutions linked to the investigation. These were admitted as evidence.
Following the testimonies, Justice Emeka Nwite set new trial dates for March 6 and 7, 2025, for further hearings in the case.