A prosecution witness in the alleged money laundering trial of former Yahaya Bello has told the court that several transactions linked to the Kogi State government were carried out before he began working with Access Bank Plc.
The witness, Olomotane Egoro, made the statement during cross-examination in the case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Egoro explained that the transactions recorded between January 1, 2016, and April 2023 in an account listed as Exhibit AH1 took place before he joined the bank. He also told the court that he was not the account officer responsible for the account involved in the case.
During questioning, the banker confirmed that the bank did not violate any regulations of the Central Bank of Nigeria when approving cheques presented by the third defendant, Abdulsalam Hudu.
On another account identified as Exhibit AP, Egoro stated that the account opening documents for Fazab Business Enterprise were not presented before the court. He also said he could not confirm the nature of the business for which the company was registered, although he acknowledged that corporate accounts require incorporation documents.
The witness further noted that he could not explain why several local government councils paid money into the account unless the reason was clearly stated in the transaction details.
Responding to questions from the defence counsel, Zakari Abbas, Egoro confirmed that the bank approved all the cheques brought by Yakubu Abenege.
“All the withdrawals were approved by the bank,” he said, adding that the bank did not breach any regulatory rules.
He also confirmed that a transaction dated May 6, 2022, from Okehi Local Government Area into the account was described as payment for the supply of medical items.
After the session, Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned the case to March 12 for the continuation of the trial.
The EFCC is prosecuting Bello, who served as governor of Kogi State from 2016 to 2024, on 19 counts of alleged money laundering involving about ₦80.2 billion reportedly diverted from state and local government accounts.
Bello has denied the allegations. However, he is also facing related fraud charges involving the alleged diversion of ₦110 billion, which prosecutors claim was used to acquire properties in Abuja and Dubai.
