Court Rejects Yahaya Bello’s Objection, Hears Further Testimony On Dollar Transactions

The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, resumed on Friday at the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, with the court dismissing an objection raised by the defence and allowing proceedings to continue.

Presiding judge, Emeka Nwite, ruled that the objection filed by defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, lacked merit, describing it as “speculative and misconceived.”

He held that relevant provisions of Section 239 of the Evidence Act applied and subsequently ordered the continuation of trial.

Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering amounting to N80,246,470,088.88.

The defence had argued that the prosecution was attempting to contradict its own witness and suggested that the witness should be declared hostile. However, lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, rejected the claim, insisting that the witness “was very unequivocal and unambiguous.”

Following the ruling, the prosecution proceeded with the examination of its twelfth witness, Jamilu Abdullahi, a Bureau de Change operator, who gave detailed testimony on foreign exchange transactions allegedly linked to the case.

Abdullahi told the court that he conducted business transactions with one Abba Adaudu, including handling multiple foreign exchange conversions.

“I remember giving Ali, a police officer, a MOPOL, dollars at Fraser Suites on Abba Adaudu’s instruction. Whenever he was not available, he usually sent people to pick up his dollars,” the witness said.

He further explained how he relied on other operators within the Bureau de Change network to execute large transactions when he lacked sufficient dollar inflows.

“Alyeshua Services, Forza Oil and Gas and Whales Oil and Gas Limited are companies belonging to my colleagues. When I didn’t have the required inflow to process school fees payments, I contacted them, agreed on rates and paid them to handle the transactions,” he said.

According to Abdullahi, instructions for certain school fees payments were given by Abba Adaudu.

“He came with a friend on a Saturday with cash in dollars and asked me to transfer the money for the payment of school fees for Zahra and Fatima Bello. The transfers were successful,” he testified.

The witness identified several documents tendered by the prosecution as records of transactions he facilitated, although he noted that some were not directly handled by him.

Under cross-examination, Abdullahi confirmed that he made a single statement to the EFCC on May 10, 2022.

“My statement was taken on May 10, 2022, and it is the only statement I made to the EFCC on this matter,” he said.

He also clarified his role, stating that while he did not personally execute all transfers, he facilitated and instructed them.

“Yes, I instructed the transactions, though I did not carry them out myself,” he added.

On the source of funds used for the school fees payments, the witness maintained that the money did not originate from previously referenced accounts.

“The $300,000 used for the school fees was given to me in cash by Abba Adaudu and his associate. I did not use funds from those accounts for the payments,” he said.

Abdullahi also described the operational structure of the Bureau de Change market, noting that collaboration among operators is common when handling high-value transactions.

“In the Bureau de Change market, when one cannot handle a transaction due to insufficient inflow, colleagues are engaged. I gave both cash dollars and naira transfers based on agreed rates to facilitate the payments,” he said.

Justice Nwite subsequently adjourned the matter to May 6 and 7, 2026, for continuation of cross-examination of the witness and further proceedings.