Yahaya Bello: Witness Narrates How N2.1b Loan was Repaid with Funds from Kogi State LGAs

The trial of former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with the Tenth Prosecution Witness, PW10, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank giving a detailed movement of public funds through multiple bank accounts.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the witness, who testified, pursuant to a subpoena, disclosed that there was a loan disbursement credit in the sum of ₦2.1 billion into Keyless Nature Limited account on December 14, 2021, captured in Exhibit AU. Asked if the loan was utilised, he responded: “Yes, it was utilised by the customer.”

He further testified that from December 24 up to July 5, 2022, there were multiple credit entries from various Kogi State local government accounts.

On loan repayments made on January 14, February 14, March 14, April 14 and May 16, 2022, the witness said they were loan repayments, including interest, disclosing that the source of funds for the repayments came from Kogi State local government areas.

He told the court that up to December 2022, repayments were consistently made on the 14th of each month and that the pattern remained the same, with loan repayments sourced from various Kogi State local government areas.

Turning to Exhibit AJ, being the statement of account of Westwood Limited, the witness testified that on March 21, 2018, there was a principal loan disbursement of ₦818,698,262.29 and that on April 8, 2020, there were 15 cash deposits by several individuals at the Lokoja branch of Access Bank for the loan repayment. On May 7, 2020, he disclosed that there were 20 cash deposits by several individuals. According to him, the avalanche of cash deposits made at the Lokoja branch were used to liquidate the existing loan, even though the account holder, Westwood Motors, was domiciled at the National Assembly branch in Abuja.

The witness identified Exhibit AH1 as the statement of account of the Kogi State Government House account opening package.

Pinheiro directed the witness to examine the entries from December 2018 to August 2019. Following the examination, the witness told the court that there were “quite a number of inflows” into the account, followed by withdrawals. He confirmed that the names of Aminu Jimoh Olarenwaju and Abdulsalami Hudu featured in the statement, stating: “Yes, my lord, there were several cash withdrawals by Aminu Jimoh Olarenwaju and Abdulsalami Hudu.” He noted that after transfers were made into the account, withdrawals followed almost immediately.

Referring to a transaction of December 24, 2018, the witness said there were cash withdrawals and that the bank filed a Suspicious Transaction Report, STR, to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, because the transaction did not align with the customer’s profile.

On January 15 and 16, 2019, he told the court that there were 10 cash withdrawals of ₦10 million each by Aminu Olarenwaju on each of the two days, totaling ₦100 million. Similarly, on March 8, 2019, he said there were 10 cash withdrawals of ₦10 million each by the same individual.

The witness also testified that on August 1, 2019, there were 30 cash withdrawals of ₦10 million each by Abdulsalami Hudu, totaling ₦300 million. According to him, “the pattern of such withdrawals followed immediately after there was money in the account.”

When asked about the purpose or narration of withdrawals by Aminu Jimoh Olarenwaju, the witness said it was not stated.

On whether Abdulsalami Hudu was a signatory to the account, the witness responded that he would need to check. Asked whether the purpose of withdrawals by Hudu was stated, he answered in the affirmative.

Turning to Exhibit AP, being the statement of account of Fazab Business Enterprise, the witness stated that in May 2022, there were several credit entries from Kogi State local governments into the account. He added that immediately after the credits, there were several withdrawals by one Yakubu Adabenege Siyaka.

He told the court that most of the withdrawals were structured “in order to evade the reporting requirements,” but that the bank still filed a Suspicious Transaction Report.

For June and July 2022, the witness testified that there was a consistent pattern of inflows from various local governments of Kogi State into the account, followed by withdrawals by Yakubu Siyaka.

He stated that from June 2022, the total inflow from different local government areas of Kogi State was ₦117,938,76 (as reflected in the exhibit). From this sum, he disclosed that a total of ₦116,600,000 was withdrawn by Yakubu Siyaka. “Most of the withdrawals were structured to evade the STR,” he said.

Between June and July 2022, the witness revealed that the total inflow from various local governments of the state amounted to ₦241,631,142.99, while total cash withdrawals by Yakubu Siyaka stood at ₦203,900,000, all withdrawn in cash. He confirmed that the pattern was consistent, noting that when funds were deposited by local governments, immediate cash withdrawals followed.

On Exhibit AR, the account opening package of E-Traders International Limited, the witness testified that between July 26 and December 30, 2021, there were multiple cash deposits by Abba Adaudu into the account.

Between January 18 and April 30, 2022, he said Adaudu’s name also featured as a multiple cash depositor at the Lokoja branch of Access Bank. Confirming the branch where the withdrawals were made in Exhibit AP, the witness said they were carried out at the Lokoja branch.

With respect to Exhibit AO, the statement of account of Hayzma Business Enterprise, the witness told the court that in August 2022, there were several credit entries from Kogi State local governments. He confirmed that Yakubu Siyaka featured in the statement and made several cash withdrawals immediately after deposits from the local governments.

For April 2021, he testified that there were credit entries from several Kogi State local governments, followed by cash withdrawals by Siyaka. Asked whether there was a consistent pattern, he answered in the affirmative, stating that he observed several cash entries from various Kogi State local governments followed by immediate withdrawals.

The witness identified Exhibit AT as the statement of account of Keyless Nature Limited. From January to July 2022, he said the account received credit entries from several local governments of Kogi State.

He disclosed that there were transfers out of the account soon after the credit inflows, including transfers to Keyless Fidelity. He also stated that there was a transfer of ₦20 million to Abba Adaudu and another transfer of ₦80 million to another Keyless Nature account in Access Bank.

According to him, these transfers occurred immediately after receipt of funds from Kogi State local governments. He further testified that on November 1, 2022 there was a transfer of ₦20,500,000 to Ejadams Essence Limited.

Under cross-examination by P.B. Daudu, SAN, counsel to the first and second defendants, the witness confirmed that Exhibits AH1 and AH2 were account opening packages of Kogi State Government between January 2016 and 2024. He also confirmed that he was not the relationship manager of the account but a compliance officer, adding that as an employee of Access Bank, he would not be privy to the internal operations of the Kogi State Government House account.

The witness confirmed Exhibit AF as the subpoena he tendered earlier in the day.

Regarding the filing of Suspicious Transaction Reports, STR, he said the bank retained an excel sheet of what was filed. When asked whether a copy of the STR formed part of the subpoenaed documents, he replied: “No, my lord, the law does not allow us to show it to the public.”

Asked whether bank customers were entitled to withdraw their money as long as it did not violate the law, the witness answered in the affirmative.

Series of subpoenaed documents, tendered by the prosecution were admitted in evidence by the court, marked as Exhibits AG, AH1, AH2, AJ, AK, AL, AM, AN, AO, AP, AQ, AR, AS, AT and AU.

Justice Anineh adjourned the matter till March 10, 11 and 12, 2026 for continuation of trial.