The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to March 6 and 7, 2025, after hearing testimonies from two witnesses presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
During Monday’s session, the prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, introduced Segun Joseph Adeleke, General Manager of Efab Properties Limited, as a witness.
However, the defense counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, objected, arguing that the witness was not listed in the original lineup, which could hinder proper cross-examination. Despite the objection, the court allowed the testimony.
Adeleke provided details on two properties located in Maitama and Gwarinpa, stating that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear in any related documents. He recalled meeting Shehu Bello in 2020 through his chairman, Chief Fabian Nwora, regarding a N550 million property purchase. He further stated that he interacted with Shehu Bello three times—during the introduction, payment, and document signing stages.
Regarding another property in Gwarinpa’s 5th Avenue, he testified that it was acquired by Nuhu Mohammed for N70 million via bank transfer but could not recall the bank used for the transaction.
Under cross-examination, Adeleke confirmed that all his dealings were based on his chairman’s instructions and that he never met Yahaya Bello during the transactions. He also stated that the former governor’s name was not included in any of the submitted documents.
The EFCC then presented a second witness, Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), who testified under a subpoena. She submitted financial records, including the Kogi State Government House account statement (2016–2024), details of Maselina Njoku’s account (2022), and the American International School’s financial records from September 2020.
Following the witness statements, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to March 6 and 7, 2025, for further proceedings.