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Joseph Daudu (SAN), the counsel to the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has said that his client’s trial in the alleged N80.2bn local government funds transfers was political, and not money laundering charges.
Daudu stated this at the ongoing alleged money laundering case instituted against Bello by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Daudu’s clarification followed the remarks in the open court by counsel to the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), that what happened in the mode of payments by local government areas in Kogi state was stealing in disguise.
He said this just as the seventh prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, a Compliance Officer with Access Bank, admitted in court that the former governor did not serve as local government chairman in any of the local governments in Kogi State.
The banker said this against the background that the contracts in question were awarded by local government chairmen for various purposes to contractors, as stated in the bank accounts of some companies tendered and admitted as exhibits by the court.
While being cross-examined by counsel to the defendant, the EFCC witness also reiterated that there was no mention of the name of the former governor in any of the local government transactions under investigation.
Daudu said the name, ‘Yahaya Bello’, did not appear, either as sender or recipient of local governments’ funds.
He also admitted that, on the face of Exhibit 33(11), the entries in the transactions between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited were consistent with normal banking transactions.
The defendant’s counsel said, “You drew my lord’s attention to a litany of payments from the 21 local government areas, for example, 11th October 2022, into the Keyless account.
“Do you know the purpose of those entries or transactions?”
The witness responded in the negative.
He also admitted that he did not know from the record whether there was any business or contractual relationship between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited.
The witness also stated that a customer had the right to spend his money any way he liked unless there was an issue of fraud.
“Confirm that in respect of transactions in Exhibit 33(11), your bank was not under court order and you have no report of fraud,” Daudu told the witness.
He responded in the affirmative.
On payment made into one Fayzade Business Enterprise, the defendant’s counsel told the witness to look at the transaction of 6th May 2022, the 6th column.
The witness said it was an inflow from the Okene Local Government Area.
He added that the purpose, as stated, was for the supply of reading materials.
He listed the purposes of payments from Ogori Mangogo, Okehi, Omala, and Yagba LGAs as education materials (N4.4 million); medical items (N7.5 million); Sporting equipment (N10.8 million); and medical consumables (N12.2 million), respectively, among others.
The purposes of other payments ranged from agrochemicals to farm inputs and also medical consumables, according to the witness.
Daudu then asked, “Do you know if this defendant (Yahaya Bello) is a local government chairman and which local government in Kogi state?”
“No, the defendant wasn’t a local government chairman,” he responded.
Justice Emeka Nwite thereafter adjourned the case to 5th and 6th February, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
