The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Wednesday before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with a prosecution witness testifying that a N2.1bn loan was repaid with funds traced to Kogi State local government areas.
The 10th prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, told the court that the loan was disbursed into the account of Keyless Nature Limited on December 14, 2021.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), the witness said the N2.1bn credit, reflected in Exhibit AU, was utilised by the customer.
Egoro further testified that between December 24, 2021 and July 5, 2022, the account received multiple inflows from various Kogi State local government accounts.
He stated that loan repayments made on January 14, February 14, March 14, April 14 and May 16, 2022, including accrued interest, were sourced from funds traced to the local governments.
He said the repayments continued consistently on the 14th of each month up to December 2022, maintaining the same pattern of inflows from Kogi LGAs.
The witness also gave evidence on the account of Westwood Limited. He said a principal loan of N818,698,262.29 was disbursed into the account on March 21, 2018.
He disclosed that on April 8, 2020, 15 cash deposits were made by several individuals at the Lokoja branch of Access Bank towards repayment of the loan, while on May 7, 2020, another 20 cash deposits were made.
Egoro told the court that the deposits were used to liquidate the loan, although the account holder was domiciled at the bank’s National Assembly branch in Abuja.
On the Kogi State Government House account, admitted as Exhibit AH1, the witness said he observed multiple inflows followed by immediate withdrawals between December 2018 and August 2019.
He confirmed that Aminu Jimoh Olarenwaju and Abdulsalami Hudu made several cash withdrawals from the account.
Specifically, he said that on January 15 and 16, 2019, Olarenwaju made 10 withdrawals of N10m each on both days, totalling N100m. On March 8, 2019, he also made 10 withdrawals of N10m each.
Similarly, on August 1, 2019, Hudu made 30 withdrawals of N10m each, totalling N300m.
Egoro stated that the withdrawals typically followed immediately after funds were transferred into the account. He added that a Suspicious Transaction Report was filed with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit in respect of certain transactions that did not align with the customer’s profile.
On the account of Fazab Business Enterprise (Exhibit AP), the witness said that in May 2022, there were several inflows from Kogi LGAs, followed by multiple cash withdrawals by one Yakubu Adabenege Siyaka.
He said most of the withdrawals were structured in a manner intended to evade reporting requirements, although the bank still filed a Suspicious Transaction Report.
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According to him, from June 2022, total inflows from various LGAs into the account amounted to N241,631,142.99, out of which N203.9m was withdrawn in cash by Siyaka.
He said a similar pattern of inflows from LGAs followed by immediate withdrawals was observed in the accounts of Hayzma Business Enterprise and Keyless Nature Limited.
Egoro further testified that between July and December 2021, multiple cash deposits were made into the account of E-Traders International Limited by Abba Adaudu at the Lokoja branch of the bank.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, P.B. Daudu (SAN), the witness confirmed that he was a compliance officer and not the relationship manager of the accounts in question.
He stated that Suspicious Transaction Reports are confidential and not made available to the public, adding that bank customers are entitled to withdraw their funds provided such withdrawals do not violate the law.
Justice Anineh admitted several subpoenaed documents tendered by the prosecution as exhibits and adjourned the matter till March 10, 11 and 12, 2026 for continuation of trial.
