February 24, (THEWILL) – Segun Joseph Adeleke, the First Prosecution Witness (PW1) in the money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja, that the name of the ex-governor did not reflect on any of the two properties being disputed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as proceeds of fraud.
Bello, alongside two officials of the Kogi State Government – Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, is facing trial over his alleged complicity in a N110 billion fraud. The EFCC alleged that the former governor misused state funds to acquire property, including No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama District, Abuja (N950 million), No. 1160 Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarimpa II District, Abuja (N100 million), and No. 2 Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Street, Asokoro, Abuja (N920 million).
Other properties the defendants allegedly acquired with funds stolen from the Kogi state treasury included Block D Manzini Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N170 million), Hotel Apartment Community: Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Five Million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Eight Thousand, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Eight Dirhams), Block 18, Gwelo Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N60 million), and No. 9 Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja (N310.4 million).
The defendants were accused of transferring $570,330 and $556,265 to TD Bank, USA, and possessing unlawfully obtained property, including N677.8 million from Bespoque Business Solution Limited..
Upon resumption of trial on Monday, prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, asked Adeleke, the General Manager of Efab Properties Limited, to tell the court what he knows about the property in Maitama and another in Gwarinpa, Abuja.
Adeleke told the court that the name of the former governor did not reflect on any of the two properties being examined and that he did not see him throughout the transactions.
Giving an account of what transpired, he said sometime in 2020, his chairman, Chief Fabian Nwora, introduced him to a young man called Shehu Bello and that they had a discussion concerning the purchase of the property.
“We had a discussion concerning the purchase of the property in question. And he told me that the young man would be coming back to make payment for the property at an agreed price of N550 million”, he said.
Asked if he had seen Shehu Bello since that day, he said, “I saw him three times. The first time was for introduction, the second time for payment and the third time was when he brought a legal document for the execution of the EFAB property.”
On another property at 5th Avenue in Gwarinpa, Adeleke said the property was purchased by one Nuhu Mohammed for N70 million and was paid for through a bank transfer.
On cross-examination, the defendant’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, asked if the witness’ actions were purely based on the instructions of his chairman. He responded, “Yes.”
The counsel further asked whether it was correct to say that he did not initiate any discussion with Shehu Bello on his own, to which he also answered, “Yes.”
On the documents signed for the transactions, the Defendant’s Counsel asked the witness if he could confirm that Shehu Bello signed his own part in his presence.
“He did not my Lord”, he answered.
Daudu, SAN, also asked: “Throughout this transaction, did you set eyes on the defendant?”
“Not at any time in the course of this transaction”, the witness responded.
He was also asked if the name of the defendant appeared anywhere on the documents he said were with the EFCC.
He, again, answered, “No!”
Meanwhile, Justice Emeka Nwite then adjourned to March 6 and 7, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
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