The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the money laundering case involving former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to March 6 and 7, 2025. The case, initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), resumed on Monday with testimony from two witnesses for the prosecution.
The first witness, Segun Adeleke, the General Manager of Efab Properties Limited, spoke about property transactions in Maitama and Gwarinpa. He revealed that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear on any of the documents and that he had never met the former governor.
Adeleke explained how in 2020, he was introduced to a man named Shehu Bello by his chairman, Chief Dr. Fabian Nwora, who had discussed purchasing a property. The property in question, located at Number 1 Ikogosi Road, Maitama, was priced at ₦550 million, which Shehu paid using U.S. dollars. The exchange rate was confirmed via a Bureau de Change to ensure the payment matched the Nigerian naira equivalent.
Adeleke stated he met Shehu Bello three times — during the introduction, payment, and signing of legal documents. However, he confirmed that Shehu did not sign the documents in his presence, and he never saw Yahaya Bello involved in the transactions.
The second witness, Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer at United Bank for Africa, was subpoenaed to present several banking documents. These included account statements from the Kogi State Government House account, as well as other documents related to Macelina Njoku and the American International School in Abuja. These documents were admitted into evidence without objection.
The case will resume in March 2025 for further hearings.
