A prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, was not involved in any of the property transactions forming the basis of the ongoing alleged money laundering case against him.
The witness, identified as Shehu Bala, who is the 17th prosecution witness in the trial, made the statement while being cross-examined by defence counsel, Paul Daudu, SAN.
Bala maintained that neither Yahaya Bello nor the second defendant participated in the transactions in question, adding that one Farouk Bello acted as an agent in the dealings.
According to him, the transactions were conducted through intermediaries, and he had no direct evidence linking the former governor to the property purchases.
He also told the court that he met Ali Bello about 14 years ago through his business activities as a commodity trader dealing in grain purchases in northern Nigeria, but insisted that his testimony was not based on personal or political connections.
During cross-examination, the witness confirmed that he was from Katsina State and not Kogi State, and stated that he was not related to the former governor or other defendants in the case.
He further testified that title documents relating to the properties, including deeds of assignment and powers of attorney, were later returned to Efab Estate by Farouk Bello. He also noted that Farouk Bello had since passed away at the time of some of the transactions involving the documents.
The witness explained that individuals had approached him with documents suggesting a desire to sell one of the properties, although he could not confirm their exact relationship to the deceased Farouk Bello.
He added that he returned the documents to the chairman of Efab Estate after the developments.
Tensions briefly arose in court when defence counsel suggested that Ali Bello may have inherited one of the properties, prompting an objection from prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, who argued that such claims were not supported by the witness’s testimony.
The defence, however, insisted on continuing its line of questioning, stating it was laying the foundation for its case.
The trial continues as the court examines multiple witnesses and documentary evidence presented by the EFCC.
