Alleged Money Laundering: EFCC Witness Says Yahaya Bello, Co-Defendants Never Paid Firm For Property
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that the second prosecution witness in the money laundering case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that neither Bello nor his co-defendants made any payments for a property linked to Efab Property Limited.
The other defendants in the case are Umar Shuaib Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu.
During the court session, the second witness, Segun Adeleke—who is a manager at Efab Property Limited—stated under oath that he had no dealings with any of the three defendants during the transaction in question. He also confirmed that their names did not appear in any of the documents related to the property sale.
Earlier, the first prosecution witness (PW1), Fabian Nwora, also testified that none of the defendants made any payments into the company’s account. While he acknowledged knowing Yahaya Bello, Nwora said the former governor had no involvement in the specific property transaction under scrutiny.
Nwora told the court that although he initiated discussions regarding the property, it was Adeleke (PW2) who finalized the negotiations. He said the transaction was with an individual named Shehu Bello, who initially expressed interest in a property located at No. 1 Ikogosi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Nwora had been summoned by the EFCC on February 8, 2023, concerning that transaction.
Testifying further, Adeleke confirmed that in 2020, his chairman, Nwora, instructed him to manage the transaction, which Shehu Bello later concluded with a payment of N500 million. He said Bello eventually returned to their office with the agreement in hand, stating he was no longer interested in the property due to the ongoing EFCC investigation.
The prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Kemi Pinheiro, also questioned Adeleke about documents issued to one Nuhu Muhammed for a different property in Gwarinpa, Abuja. Adeleke confirmed that Muhammed was issued the documents after purchasing one of the detached bungalows.
However, Defence Counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN) objected, arguing that there was no proper foundation linking the documents to the current case. The objection was overruled by the presiding judge.
During cross-examination, Adeleke admitted he had testified on similar matters in an earlier hearing before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court. He acknowledged that he joined the transaction process after it had already begun and was not involved in initiating it.
Defence counsel Daudu pointed out that in Adeleke’s previous testimony, he had stated that payment for the Gwarinpa property was made in a single transaction. The witness confirmed that assertion.
Proceedings in the case are expected to continue as the prosecution seeks to establish links between the defendants and the contested financial transactions.
