Kogiflame
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) star witness in the ongoing trial involving former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, Mr. Olomotane Egoro, a Compliance Officer with Access Bank Plc, has told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court how over ₦109 million drawn from various local government accounts was used for the procurement of agrochemicals, medical consumables, sports materials, and relief supplies for the benefiting councils.
At the commencement of proceedings, Egoro, who testified as Prosecution Witness 10 (PW10), tendered 13 exhibits, including account opening documents and statements of account for the Kogi State Government House Administration and several contractors linked to the transactions.
Counsel to the 2nd and 3rd defendants objected to the admissibility of the documents, arguing that the accompanying certificate of identification did not comply with the provisions of the Evidence Act. The defence indicated that detailed arguments would be presented in their final written address. Responding, prosecution counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, described the objection as premature and speculative, also reserving his full response for the final address stage. The court admitted the documents provisionally, stating that their evidential weight would be determined after arguments on the objections — a standard procedure in criminal trials.
During examination-in-chief, PW10 outlined inflows into and outflows from the Government House Administration account. He also testified regarding Exhibit AP, the bank records of Fazab Business Enterprise, covering transactions from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2024.
Under cross-examination by Paul Daudu, SAN, Egoro confirmed that Fazab Business Enterprise had established contractual relationships with several local government areas. He described payments linked to the procurement of educational materials, medical consumables, agricultural inputs, and relief materials for councils affected by the 2022 flood disaster.
The witness acknowledged that he was not the account relationship manager for either the local government accounts or those of the contractors. He also confirmed that Yahaya Bello did not serve as chairman of any local government during the period under review.
In further cross-examination, Daudu directed the witness to specific transactions. For instance, Egoro confirmed that a transaction dated May 6, 2022, amounting to ₦14,453,900.84, was for the supply of reading materials to Okene Local Government Area. Similar confirmations were made for other councils, with Egoro identifying transaction descriptions and stated purposes.
Throughout his testimony, PW10 did not link any of the transactions directly to the former governor, either as a beneficiary or as a signatory authorizing the payments.
On transactions involving Westwood Motors Limited, Egoro identified Exhibit AJ and testified that multiple cash deposits were made into the company’s account by local governments, which he said were described as loan repayments. He did not provide evidence connecting Yahaya Bello to those transactions.
Since the trial began, the prosecution has yet to present direct documentary evidence — such as bank mandates, withdrawal instructions, payment vouchers, or signed authorizations — showing that Bello personally withdrew funds, benefited from the transactions, or approved payments for unlawful purposes.
The case was adjourned to March 10, 11, and 12 for continuation of trial.
