Yahaya Bello’s Trial: Witness confirms cash withdrawals, says it followed due process

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri

ABUJA– Trial of the erstwhile Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, resumed connected Wednesday, arsenic the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, produced much witnesses to attest earlier the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, astatine Maitama.

Bello, who piloted the affairs of Kogi authorities from 2016 to 2024, is answering to a 16-count wealth laundering complaint the anti-graft bureau preferred againt him and 2 officials of the Kogi authorities government- Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.

The defendants were accused of complicity successful a N110billion fraud.

Testifying arsenic the 3rd prosecution witness, PW-3, a slope official, Ms. Williams Abimbola, narrated what she knew astir immoderate of the transactions that led to the charge.

Identifying herself arsenic a Compliance Officer with the United Bank for Africa, UBA, the witness, told the tribunal that each the currency withdrawals that progressive her fiscal institution, followed the owed banking process.

She insisted that nary regularisation was breached successful the transactions that were allowed by her bank.

The PW-3 further admitted that she had earlier fixed akin grounds earlier the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, with respect to different complaint marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024, betwixt the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ex-governor Bello.

She stressed that though she was mandated by the slope to look connected its behalf, she was nevertheless not the manager of the Kogi Government House account, which she said was domiciled successful Lokoja.

Answering questions portion being cross-examined by Bello’s lawyer, Mr. J. B. Daudu, SAN, the witness, told the tribunal that portion of her duties included ensuring the extortion of the bank’s integrity to debar ineligible penalty, reputational harm and fiscal loss.

Referencing immoderate of the exhibits that were tendered earlier the court, the witness, confirmed aggregate transactions involving 1 of the defendants, Hudu, including repeated withdrawals of the sum of N10million each betwixt July 31 and August 6, 2019.

According to the witness, she was not successful the presumption to ascertain wherefore the withdrawals were made by the defendant.

The PW-3 explained that though it was a communal banking signifier to query the intent of transaction and relationship, particularly connected precocious measurement transfers, the slope does not marque specified enquiries successful the lawsuit of currency withdrawals.

She added that a banker does not enactment arsenic an interior auditor for customers.

More so, the witnesser confirmed that transfers were made from the relationship successful tranches, connected July 5, 2019, by 1 Bello Abdullateef, insisting the slope did not interruption immoderate regularisation by allowing the transactions.

She further told the tribunal that nary of the withdrawals successful the impervious of evidence, transcend N10m, adding that arsenic a banker with implicit 19 years experience, she is alert that duties of a cashier included paying currency and receiving cash.

Besides, the witnesser told the tribunal that a lawsuit was astatine liberty to retreat his wealth arsenic overmuch arsenic helium liked, truthful acold the outgo mandate was correct.

Earlier successful her testimony, the PW-3 listed each the authorised signatories connected the Kogi Government House account, arsenic astatine 2004.

She told the tribunal that those successful complaint of the account, included: Christopher Enefola, Permanent Secretary; Onekutu Daniel, Chief Accountant; and Hudu Abdulsalami, Accountant (Exhibits F2, Page 37).

Ms. Abimbola arsenic mentioned a missive dated September 2008, with 3 signatures-  Elder P.S Ocheni, Abbas Ibrahim Abubakar, Chief Accountant; and Abdulsalami Hudu, Senior Accountant.

While  being cross-examined by the counsel to the 3rd defendant, Mr..A.M. Aliyu, the witnesser was presented with a slope connection wherever the withdrawals were made.

She admitted that the narration connected the recognition introduction was the governor’s information fund, adjacent arsenic she noted that a recognition introduction of N100m successful 2 tranches of N50m each.

Asked if she could connected oath, corroborate if the funds were not utilized for information purposes aft they were withdrawn, the witness, said: “My Lord, I americium not privy to the details of the transaction and cannot categorically reply that question.”

The witnesser besides admitted that she ne'er met nor had immoderate concern enactment with the 2nd defendant, Oricha.

She arsenic told the tribunal that she ne'er met the 1st defendant, Bello.

Shortly aft she was discharged from the box, the EFCC called its 4th witness, Jesutoni Akoni, a Compliance Officer with Ecobank, who was subpoenaed to look earlier the tribunal to testi...