Bank official testifies on N1 billion withdrawals by former Governor Yahaya Bello’s co-defendant
A bank official on Wednesday told the FCT High Court in Abuja how a former Kogi State Government House accountant, who is standing fraud trial alongside ex-Governor Yahaya Bello, withdrew over N1 billion from the government house’s bank account within nine months.
Abimbola Williams, a compliance officer at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and the third prosecution witness, said a total of N640 million, which is more than half of the months-long over N1 billion transactions, was withdrawn within six days.
Ms Williams spotted 64 transactions totalling N640 million on page 12 of the government house’s account statement earlier tendered as an exhibit.
“These transactions were carried out in six days from 31 July 2019 to 6 August 2019,” the bank official said.
The former Government House accountant, Abdulsalami Hudu, who allegedly withdrew the funds, is the third defendant in the trial in which former Governor Bello is seen as the prime accused person.
Mr Bello, who served as Governor of Kogi State from January 2016 to January 2024, is facing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Mr Hudu.
They face 16 counts of fraud involving alleged diversion of over N110 billion belonging to Kogi State.
The charges include criminal breach of trust involving the alleged diversion of the funds entrusted in Mr Bello’s care as Kogi State governor.
The EFCC arraigned them on 27 November 2024, when all the defendants pleaded not guilty.
Details of transactions
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Williams earlier appeared in June on a subpoena, presenting bank documents relating to the account of the Kogi State Government House covering relevant periods of Mr Bello’s time as governor.
Led in evidence by the EFCC’s lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), on Wednesday, the witness gave a breakdown of transactions considered to be suspicious by the EFCC on the bank statement of the Kogi State Government.
She noted that on 12 December 2018, a total of N100 million was withdrawn in 10 tranches by Mr Hudu..
She said that on 4 January 2019, Mr Hudu withdrew N10 million, N8.5 million, N7,350,000, and N4,150,000.
The witness also said Mr Hudu withdrew N8 million, N6.5 million, and N5.5 million on 8 January 2019.
She added that, on 11 January 2019, Mr Hudu presented five cheques of N10 million each, totalling N50 million.
Similarly, five withdrawals of N10 million each were allegedly made by Mr Hudu on 16 and 21 January 2019 and 20 February 2019.
On 7 March, ten cash withdrawals valued at N10 million each, totalling N100 million, were made by Mr Hudu, the witness said.
Ms Williams identified similar outflows on pages 1-251 of the account statement with Mr Hudu as a cash beneficiary.
‘Special security fund’
During cross-examination by Mr Hudu’s lawyer, A.M. Aliyu, a SAN, the witness, said some of withdrawals were entered as “special security funds” for then-Governor Bello and the administration of the government house.
“On 27 May 2019, there was a credit entry of N100 million. It showed that it was for His Excellency’s special security fund,” Ms Williams said.
Responding to a further question, she confirmed that Mr Hudu withdrew the N100 million from the Government House account the same day.
Ms Williams maintained that the bank did not breach any regulation in the transactions as no single cheque withdrawal exceeded the N10 million threshold.
She explained that the withdrawals were carried out in multiple transactions of N10 million each. She added that because the cumulative amount withdrawn exceeded N10 million, the bank was obligated to, and did, file a suspicious transaction report.
While fielding questions from Messrs Bello and Oricha’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu, a SAN, the witness identified 15 signatories to the government’s account that were changed over time.
She said three names, including Mr Hudu, who was introduced to the bank as an accountant of the government house in 2008.
Ms Williams noted that Mr Hudu was given an authorisation on 29 November 2019 to serve as the government’s representative.
She pointed out that the third defendant was not the only one who made cash withdrawals from the government’s account.
Fourth prosecution witness testifies
A compliance officer at Ecobank, Jesutomi Akoni, also appeared as the fourth prosecution witness after Ms Williams was discharged on Wednesday.
EFCC’s lawyer, Mr Pinheiro, tendered through the witness a certificate of identification, a cover letter, and an Ecobank account statement of Moses Wanzu, whose relationship with the case was yet to be ascertained as of the time of reporting.
Mr Aliyu objected to the admissibility of the documents due to a procedural error. The cover letter was addressed to Federal High Court judge Emeka Nwite who is handling a sister case in Abuja.
The prosecution lawyer retrieved the letter. However, the judge admitted the bank statement and accompanying documents as exhibits, marking them as Exhibits H and J.
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Ms Akoni told the court that the account holder, Mr Wanzu, deposited N3 million into the account on 11 February 2016. He said Abdulwahab Sabo deposited N15 million on 22 February 2016.
She also said Shehu Bello deposited N20 million and N19 million on 21 and 30 March 2016, respectively.
However, during cross-examination, the witness denied knowing the identity of the depositors or the source of the money.
Mr Pinheiro presented Victoria Oluwafemi, a compliance officer with Polaris Bank, as the fifth prosecution witness. But the court deferred her testimony till the next sitting.
Trial judge Maryanne Anenih adjourned the matter until 9 October.
In the 16 counts preferred against Mr Bello and his co-defendants, the EFCC, accused them of conspiring to divert over N110 billion from the Kogi State’s coffers.
It also alleged in various counts that Mr Bello dishonestly acquired for himself properties located in choice areas of Abuja and Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the stolen funds.
In June, PREMIUM TIMES reported that other witnesses had testified on two Abuja houses linked to Mr Bello by the EFCC.