The Federal High Court in Abuja set March 9, 2026, as the date for ruling on the admissibility of documents sought to be introduced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing alleged money laundering prosecution of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
After hearing arguments from counsel for the EFCC and the defense over whether property-related papers might be allowed as evidence, Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case for a ruling.
Bello is on trial before Justice Nwite on a 19-count accusation of money laundering totaling N80.2 billion.
According to the prosecution, the documents were signed by Mubarak Dantata on behalf of the construction company and Ali Bello on behalf of Azba Real Estate Limited.
The dispute began when EFCC lawyer Chukwudi Enebeli (SAN) attempted to offer the documents through the tenth prosecution witness, Mahmoud Abdulazeez, a Dantata and Sawoe executive.
Abdulazeez, who stated in court that he has been with Dantata and Sawoe since 2016 and is currently the chief accountant and head of accounts, confirmed that the construction company and Azba Real Estate Limited executed a Deed of Assignment for a property located at Plot 1160, Cadastral Zone C03, Gwarinpa II District, Abuja.
The move was strongly contested by principal defense attorney Joseph Daudu (SAN).
Daudu claimed that the documents were inadmissible because they were not certified by the competent authority.
He argued that the EFCC lacked the authority to certify such instruments and that only the Abuja Geographical Information Service could legally register and certify land documents.
He also argued that because the documents were registrable instruments affecting land title, they should have been registered in order to give probative value.
He further claimed that there was no provision representing the supposed N100m payment for the property.
Although the documents received EFCC certification, the defense argued that such endorsement was insufficient in law.
Following the objection, the EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), stepped in and urged the court to admit the documents.
He said that the papers were being tendered not to demonstrate title to land, but to support previously presented oral testimony detailing the transaction and receipt of payments.
After hearing both sides, Justice Nwite adjourned the case to March 9 for a decision and continuation of the trial.
Earlier, the ninth prosecution witness, Gabriel Ochoche, a compliance officer with FCMB, told the court during cross-examination that he could not connect Bello to any of the transactions detailed in the bank paperwork submitted as Exhibit 37.
Responding to the defense’s questioning, Ochoche admitted that Bello’s name did not appear in Kumfayakum Global Limited’s account opening package or statement of account for the period January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2024.
“In all the inflows and outflows drawn to your attention, did the name Yahaya Bello appear anywhere in Exhibit 37?” Daudu asked.
“It did not appear in any of the transactions drawn to my attention,” the witness replied.
He also admitted that apart from the transactions referenced in court, Bello’s name did not feature anywhere in the exhibit.
Ochoche also informed the court that the purpose of a N100 million input from Keyless Nature Limited on December 15, 2021, was unclear based on the records.
He stated that only the account holders would understand the cause for the payments and verified that he was not the account manager for the company’s accounts.
When questioned if he was aware of the business link between Keyless Nature Limited and Kumfayakum Global Limited, the witness responded negatively.
He gave a similar response to a real-time gross settlement inflow from Access Bank, which was reportedly launched by Keyless Nature Limited.
When asked to identify the defendant, Ochoche stated that he knew Bello as the former governor of Kogi State.
Before calling Abdulazeez as the 10th witness, the prosecution’s ninth witness, Oluwafemi Victoria, a compliance officer at Polaris Bank, testified about transactions on accounts under investigation.
