A bureau de change operator, Jamilu Abdullahi, has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, that transactions worth ₦1.425 billion were conducted for foreign exchange purchases between December 15, 2021, and February 21, 2022, on behalf of Abba Adaudu.
Abdullahi, the 19th prosecution witness, PW19, gave the testimony on Thursday, October 15, 2026, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, over an alleged ₦110.4 billion fraud.
The witness told Justice Maryanne Anineh that the transactions involved cash lodgments and bank transfers into accounts linked to him and his company, Kunfayakun Global Limited, for the purchase of foreign currencies.
He maintained that the funds were not gifts but payments for foreign exchange transactions, adding that the dollars purchased were subsequently delivered to Adaudu.
Reviewing Exhibit AR, which contained transactions spanning July 2021 to April 2022, Abdullahi confirmed receiving cash lodgments of ₦10 million each made by Adaudu through the Lokoja branch.
“My lord, I confirm the cash lodgments of Ten, Ten million Naira by Abba Adaudu from the Lokoja branch. My lord, I confirm I received the cash lodgments. It wasn’t for gift but for a forex transaction,” he told the court.
He explained that the funds were used to purchase United States dollars for Adaudu.
The witness also identified a January 18, 2022, transfer from Keyless Limited, which he said belonged to Adaudu, insisting that the payment was equally for foreign exchange purposes.
However, Abdullahi distanced himself from personally making several cash deposits recorded in his name through the Lokoja branch on February 22, 2022. The deposits comprised ₦9 million, ₦8 million and another ₦8 million.
He told the court that although his name appeared in the records, he had never visited the branch.
“In fact, I have never been to that branch in my life, but my name has been used as a beneficiary as any other person’s name can be used as the receiver, and it was a dollar transaction for Abba Adaudu,” he said.
Abdullahi gave a similar explanation for multiple cash lodgments recorded against his name on March 10 and 11, 2022, maintaining that he was not physically present at the Lokoja branch when the deposits were made.
According to him, the names appearing in the transaction narrations depended on the instructions provided by Adaudu.
“My lord, I get to know the cash was paid on Abba Adaudu’s behalf because whenever he makes a lodgment of cash in my account, the indicating narration is Abba Adaudu or Jamilu Abdullahi or any other name of their choice,” the witness said.
He reiterated that the transactions conducted through the Lokoja branch originated from Adaudu and that he consistently delivered the purchased foreign currencies to him.
“My lord, I always send the converted forex to Abba Adaudu. All the transactions at the Lokoja were from Abba Adaudu,” he added.
The witness also identified Exhibit AK as his personal Access Bank account at the Aminu Kano branch in Abuja. He confirmed entries showing cash lodgments of ₦10 million each on December 29 and 30, 2021, and January 1 and 31, 2022.
He, however, maintained that the deposits were made by Adaudu for foreign exchange transactions and not by him personally.
Abdullahi further told the court that he sometimes delivered the purchased dollars to Adaudu at his own office and, on other occasions, at Adaudu’s office in Area 8, Garki, Abuja.
Turning to transactions involving Kunfayakun Global Limited, which he identified as his company, the witness confirmed a ₦100 million credit from Keyless Nature Limited through FCMB, Zone 4, in 2021, attributing the transfer to Adaudu.
He also identified a separate ₦400 million transfer through Keyless Nature Limited, which he equally linked to Adaudu.
In addition, Abdullahi testified that Ejadams Essence Limited, which he said belonged to Adaudu, transferred ₦600 million to his company through multiple transactions of ₦100 million each on February 18, 2022.
The testimony formed part of the prosecution’s ongoing presentation of evidence in the case against Bello. The transactions described by the witness concerned foreign exchange purchases and payments he attributed to Adaudu.
The court is continuing to hear evidence in the trial over the alleged ₦110.4 billion fraud.
