A prosecution witness in the trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and two others has testified that transactions from the Kogi Government House account complied with Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) regulations. The witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc, stated under cross-examination that no banking rules were breached and there was no Post No Debit (PND) instruction on the account.
Bello, Umar Shuaibu Oricha, and Abdulsalam Hudu are facing 16 counts of criminal breach of trust filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges relate to the alleged mishandling of approximately N110.4 billion. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Egoro confirmed that Bello’s name did not appear on the account’s transaction records. He verified a specific inflow of ₦20 million recorded as payment for educational supplies. However, he repeatedly stated he could not confirm the purpose of several major transfers, including those between Fazab Business Enterprise and entities like Abba Adaudu and Ejadams Essence Limited on specified dates in 2022. He also admitted he did not know the business relationship between the parties involved.
Furthermore, the witness could not determine if certain individuals, including Jamilu Abdullahi, were signatories to various corporate accounts linked to the case, such as the account for E‑Traders International Limited. He noted that while a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) was filed for that account, no court order restricted its operations. He conceded that an STR represents only a suspicion requiring further investigation, not a definitive finding of illegality.
Earlier, Egoro had confirmed that Aminu Jimoh Olanrewaju, previously identified as making withdrawals from the Government House Administration Account, was a signatory. During cross-examination, he added that Olanrewaju’s profile in the account opening documents listed his occupation as a civil servant and Director of Accounts. Egoro emphasized that as a bank official, he had no insight into how the Kogi Government House Account was managed or the specific purpose of withdrawals, except as detailed in the transaction records he reviewed.
The trial, before Justice Maryann Anenih, has been adjourned to Wednesday for the continuation of cross-examination. The case continues to scrutinize the flow of substantial public funds through multiple accounts, with the defense highlighting the witness’s limited knowledge of the underlying transactions and account signatories.
