Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and lead counsel to former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that the ongoing trial of his client over the alleged N80.2 billion fraud was politically motivated and lacked justification.
Daudu made the submission on Wednesday, the 4th of February, 2026, during proceedings in the money laundering case filed against Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His position followed comments made in open court by the EFCC’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, who had argued that the pattern of payments made by Local Government Areas in Kogi State amounted to “stealing by disguise.”
At the hearing, the seventh prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, a Compliance Officer with Access Bank, testified that Bello never served as chairman of any local government in Kogi State.
The witness explained that the contracts under scrutiny were awarded by local government chairmen for different purposes, as reflected in the bank statements of certain companies tendered and admitted as exhibits by the court.
While being cross-examined by Daudu, SAN, the Access Bank official who was subpoenaed by the EFCC maintained that Bello’s name did not feature in any of the local government transactions being investigated.
He stressed that the name “Yahaya Bello” did not appear either as a sender or recipient of funds belonging to any of the local governments.
Egoro further acknowledged that, based on Exhibit 33(11), the transactions between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited followed normal banking procedures.
Questioning the witness, Daudu said, “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.
He also admitted that he could not determine from the bank records whether any contractual or business relationship existed between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited.
The witness added that customers were free to use their funds as they wished, provided there was no evidence of fraud.
“Confirm that in respect of transactions in Exhibit 33(11), your bank was not under court order and you have no report of fraud,” Daudu SAN told the witness.
“That is correct my lord,” he responded.
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On payments made to Fayzade Business Enterprise, Daudu directed the witness to the transaction dated on the 6th of May 2022, specifically the sixth column.
The witness confirmed that the inflow came from Okene Local Government Area and that the stated purpose was the supply of reading materials.
He also outlined other payment purposes from various local governments, including education materials from Ogorimagongo (N4.4 million), medical items from Okehi (N7.5 million), sporting equipment from Omala (N10.8 million), and medical consumables from Yagba (N12.2 million), among others.
According to him, additional payments covered items such as agrochemicals, farm inputs, and medical consumables.
Daudu, SAN, further 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.
At the end of the session, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter to the 5th and 6th of February, 2026, for continuation of trial.