By Amofokhai Williams
The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, over alleged ₦110.4 billion fraud continued on Thursday, January 15, 2026, before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission tendering additional bank documents in evidence.
Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering. All the defendants have pleaded not guilty.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that proceedings would continue with the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness Six (PW6), Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank.
During cross-examination, counsel to the first and second defendants, J.B. Daudu, SAN, questioned the witness on entries contained in Exhibit S1, a statement of account.
Bata explained the structure of the bank statement and identified specific transactions, including a ₦10 million cheque issued to Abdulsalami Hudu and payments made to Halims Hotels and Tours, Lokoja. He maintained that the bank records did not indicate the purpose of the transactions.
Further questioning centred on Exhibit X1, identified as the account opening package of a company domiciled at Zenith Bank’s Lokoja branch. The witness confirmed multiple inflows from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service and other sources, as well as subsequent withdrawals, but stressed that he could not determine the purpose of the payments from the narrations alone.
Counsel to the third defendant, Z.B. Abbas, SAN, also cross-examined the witness, who confirmed that withdrawals from the Government House account were made by cheque and duly signed by authorised signatories.
When the defence suggested that the third defendant acted merely in his capacity as an accountant, the prosecution objected, and the court upheld the objection.
Following the conclusion of PW6’s testimony, the prosecution called Prosecution Witness Seven (PW7), Mohammed Bello Hassan, an executive trainee with Keystone Bank, who appeared pursuant to a subpoena. He tendered bank statements relating to Dantata and Sawoe Construction for 2021, which were admitted in evidence despite objections from the defence.
PW7 testified on multiple credit entries of ₦10 million each, identifying transfers allegedly made by Maigari Murtala and Yusuf Mubarak, totalling ₦100 million. Under cross-examination, he clarified that he was not the account officer and had no personal knowledge of the account holders or signatories.
The prosecution also called Prosecution Witness Eight (PW8), Gabriel Ocha, a compliance officer with FCMB, who tendered documents relating to Kunfayakun Global Limited covering 2018 to 2024. He highlighted transactions including payments to the American International School and multiple transfers running into tens of millions of naira.
Prosecution Witness Nine (PW9), A.D. Ojoma, a compliance officer with Sterling Bank, further testified on transactions involving Bespoke Business Solutions Limited. He identified several large inflows, including payments from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service running into hundreds of millions of naira.
After the witnesses were discharged, Justice Anineh adjourned the case until Friday, January 16, 2026, for the continuation of trial.
