Former Kogi governor’s account linked to ₦46.5m school payment in EFCC trial
The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Thursday, February 5, 2026, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented new evidence on alleged money laundering involving ₦80.2 billion.
Prosecution Witness 8 (PW8), Gabriel Ochoche, a compliance officer with First City Monument Bank (FCMB), testified about a transfer of ₦46,505,000 (Forty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Five Thousand Naira) to the account of American International School. The subpoena calling him was admitted as Exhibit 36 without objection from the defence. Asked to confirm the total inflow, the witness said, “Yes, my lord, I confirm that ₦600 million was received from Ejadams Essence Limited.”
PW8 said payments to educational institutions were among several transactions linked to Kunfayakun Global Limited’s account (No: 7819613011). He highlighted a ₦30 million transfer on November 1, 2021, to American International School/Abdul Bashir, followed by another transfer of ₦16,505,400. He also presented a statement of account, certificate of compliance, and account opening documents covering June 1, 2021, to August 31, 2022, admitted as Exhibit 37.
Reading from the statement, PW8 identified major transactions, including an NIP transfer of ₦700 million from Keyless Nature Limited on December 15, 2021, and an RTGS inflow of ₦400 million on December 17, 2021, from the same company. He explained that RTGS transactions are transfers carried out by one bank on behalf of a customer.
PW8 further detailed multiple inflows from Gadonkaya Global Concept on November 2, 2021—₦10 million, ₦10 million, and ₦8.96 million—alongside an outflow of ₦34,506,600 to American International School and China Payment/Abdul Bashir. He also testified about six NIP transfers of ₦100 million each from Ejadams Essence Limited on February 18, 2022, totaling ₦600 million, and an RTGS inflow of ₦325 million on February 21, 2022.
Earlier, Prosecution Witness 7 (PW7), Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, continued testimony under cross-examination. He confirmed various cash withdrawals by Yakubu Siyaka between January 2019 and December 2022, totaling over ₦552 million, and explained that the bank has a reporting obligation for transactions outside customer profiles or flagged as potential money laundering.
When defence counsel attempted to question the contents of a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) filed with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the prosecution objected. Justice Nwite upheld the objection, ruling that questions could not be asked about documents not before the court. Additional documents admitted included Kogi State Government House account opening packages, E-Traders International Limited statements, and a Certified True Copy (CTC) of proceedings from Justice Obiora Egwuatu’s court.
With no re-examination, PW7 was discharged, and Justice Nwite adjourned the trial to March 3 and March 9, 2026, for continuation.
