Abuja Court Delays Ruling on Key Documents in Ex-Governor Bello’s Money Laundering Trial
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until March 9, 2026, to decide on the admissibility of critical property documents in the ongoing money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The documents in question are a title deed and an irrevocable power of attorney for a property in Abuja’s Gwarinpa District. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeks to admit them to demonstrate a N100 million transaction between Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company and Azba Real Estate Limited. The documents were allegedly signed by Mubarak Dantata for the seller and Ali Bello for the buyer.
Justice Emeka Nwite set the new date after hearing lengthy arguments from both sides on Tuesday. The EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, urged the court to admit the records to establish the financial transaction. However, Bello’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, mounted a vigorous opposition.
Daudu argued the documents are inadmissible because they are not certified or registered. He maintained that, as land instruments, their probative value requires registration with the Abuja Geographical Information Service (AGIS), not merely certification by the EFCC. He further contended the deeds lack a consideration clause, making them fundamentally flawed.
The dispute arose when the EFCC attempted to tender the documents through its 10th witness, Mahmoud Abdulazeez, Chief Accountant at Dantata & Sawoe. The defence objected, stating the deed was not previously before the court and that questioning about its contents was improper.
The hearing follows testimony from earlier witnesses that appeared to weaken the prosecution’s connection of Bello to the alleged funds. The eighth witness, Gabriel Ochoche, a compliance officer with FCMB, confirmed under cross-examination that Bello’s name did not appear in any transaction records of Kumfayakum Global Limited—an account central to the case. Ochoche admitted he could not ascertain the purpose of specific inflows, including a N100 million transfer, and had no knowledge of the business relationship between involved companies.
The ninth witness, Oluwafemi Victoria of Polaris Bank, also testified regarding related accounts. Abdulazeez, the 10th witness, then testified about the property sale but faced immediate objection when the prosecution moved to introduce the written deed and power of attorney.
Justice Nwite’s pending ruling on the documents’ admissibility is pivotal. Their rejection could significantly hamper the EFCC’s effort to prove a financial trail linking Bello to the alleged illicit transaction. The trial will resume after the March 2026 decision.
