A compliance officer with Access Bank has told the Federal High Court in Abuja how billions of naira allegedly belonging to Kogi State local governments were traced to private company accounts in the ongoing trial of former governor Yahaya Bello.
The witness, Olomotane Egoro, on Thursday continued his testimony before Justice Emeka Nwite, explaining how funds from several local government councils were allegedly diverted into the accounts of Fazab Business Enterprise and E-Traders International Limited. Bello is standing trial on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of ₦80.2 billion, preferred by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Egoro said investigations revealed multiple inflows from Kogi local government accounts into the account of Fazab Business Enterprise. He told the court that on May 6, 2022 alone, 11 inflows were recorded from councils, including Yagba East, Yala, Ida and Okene.
According to the witness, the total inflows on that day amounted to ₦103,375,059.73. He added that on May 9, 2022, two additional inflows from Ibaji and Dekina local government areas, totalling ₦14,563,702.56, were paid into the same account, bringing the cumulative sum to ₦117,938,762.29.
Egoro further testified that cash withdrawals were subsequently made from the account by one Yakubu Siyaka A. between May 9 and May 26, 2022. He said withdrawals within the period totalled ₦116.6 million, leaving a balance of about ₦1.08 million in the account as of May 31, 2022.
The witness told the court that similar patterns continued in subsequent months. He disclosed that in June 2022, inflows from various Kogi local governments into the Fazab Business Enterprise account amounted to ₦108,793,086.69, while July 2022 recorded inflows of ₦141,718,056.30, bringing the combined total for the two months to ₦250,511,142.99. Cash withdrawals during the same period, he said, stood at ₦198.9 million.
Egoro added that comparable inflows and withdrawals were recorded in August, September, October, November and December 2022, noting that more than ₦2.5 billion was paid into the Fazab Business Enterprise account from Kogi State local governments between May and December 2022.
He also told the court that funds from the Fazab account were transferred to other companies and individuals. In August 2022, he said, two transfers totalling ₦94,364,450 were allegedly made — ₦40 million to Konforte Koncept Company and ₦54,364,450 to one Abba Adaudu.
Testifying on the account of E-Traders International Limited, Egoro said the company’s account opening documents listed Abdullahi Jamilu as the first signatory. He narrated how numerous cash deposits were allegedly made into the account at Access Bank’s Lokoja branch.
According to him, Abba Adaudu made seven cash deposits of ₦10 million each on July 26, 2021. On August 2, 2021, three deposits totalling ₦30 million were made, followed by four deposits on August 19, 2021. He added that 10 deposits of ₦10 million each were made on August 25, 2021, and six similar deposits on August 30, 2021.
Egoro further testified that five cash deposits totalling ₦50 million were made on August 31, 2021, while six deposits of ₦10 million each were recorded on September 2, 2021. He said that on October 8 and 11, 2021, there were 10 deposits of ₦10 million each.
Between November 8 and 10, 2021, the witness told the court, 37 cash deposits were made, none exceeding ₦10 million, while five additional deposits of ₦10 million each were recorded on November 12, 2021. He added that 20 deposits were made on November 30, 2021, and 23 deposits on December 1, 2021.
Egoro said Yusuf Abba made seven cash deposits on December 3 and 22, 2021, while Haruna Mohammed made 12 deposits on December 29 and 30, 2021.
According to the witness, total cash deposits into the E-Traders International Limited account between July 26, 2021 and April 6, 2022 amounted to ₦3,145,569,654.
At the close of the testimony, counsel to the former governor, J.B. Daudu, SAN, informed the court of an application seeking the temporary release of Bello’s international passport to enable him travel for the lesser Hajj during Ramadan. Justice Nwite granted the application.
