Alleged ₦110.4bn Fraud: EFCC Presents New Bank Records in Yahaya Bello’s Trial
The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, concerning the alleged misappropriation of ₦110.4 billion, resumed on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) submitted additional bank records as evidence.
Bello faces trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on 16 counts of criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
According to an EFCC statement posted on its official X account on Thursday, proceedings continued before Justice Maryanne Anineh with the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness Six (PW6), Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer at Zenith Bank.
The EFCC, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that the trial was scheduled to continue, with more financial documents presented.
During cross-examination by counsel for the first and second defendants, J.B. Daudu, SAN, Bata clarified details in Exhibit S1, a bank statement previously tendered.
Asked about the meaning of ‘description’ in the statement, Bata responded, “It is the description of the transaction.”
Referring to specific entries, Bata identified a cheque payment of ₦10 million to Abdulsalami Hudu dated January 20, 2016, noted as ‘Cq 158 Abdulsalami Hudu for ₦10,000,000.’ He also recognized another entry, ‘ZB chq 155 paid Halims Hotels and Tours, Lokoja, ₦2,454,400.’ When questioned about the purpose of these payments, Bata stated he did not know how the funds were spent.
Furthermore, Bata confirmed that Exhibit X1 was the account-opening document for a company with account number 1014878995 at Zenith Bank’s Lokoja branch. He noted transactions within this account, including credits from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service totaling ₦74,378,483.20 on December 6, 2016, and a ₦10 million cheque to Mohammed Jami’u Sallau on the same day.
He maintained that the statement did not specify the purpose of these transactions. When asked about withdrawals by the third defendant, Bata confirmed they were through cheques signed by authorized signatories.
He also verified that Exhibit X1 was the statement of the Government House account, with the third defendant introduced as a civil servant and accountant.
Justice Anineh adjourned the trial to a later date for continuation.
