By Rafiyat Sadiq
There was a brief moment of courtroom drama at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday when Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), referred to the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello as “a political case.”
Pinheiro made the remark during arguments over whether the defence counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, could proceed with cross-examining the fourth prosecution witness (PW-4), Mshelia Arhyel Bata, or defer the session until the next court date.
Describing the gravity of the trial, Pinheiro said it involved a political figure who had once aspired to run for president. “We’re not prosecuting a banker; this is a former governor. It’s a political case,” he stated.
Daudu, in response, disagreed with the assertion, maintaining that the case concerns allegations of money laundering and should not be politicized.
In a light-hearted response, the presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, remarked, “Political? If that is the case, then those who handle political matters should come and take over the file.”
Judge Dismisses EFCC’s Attempt to Cross-Examine Own Witness
Earlier in the proceedings, the court rejected the EFCC’s request to cross-examine its own witness, Nicholas Ojehomon (PW-3), an internal auditor at the American International School, Abuja (AISA).
Justice Nwite ruled that such a move was not supported by law unless the prosecution had declared the witness hostile, which it had not done.
“The prosecution is not prevented from re-examining its witness,” the judge said, “but it must be limited to the content of Pages 1, 14, and 15 of Exhibit 19.” Exhibit 19 was a previous judgment from the FCT High Court referenced during the defence’s cross-examination of Ojehomon.
The judge held that the argument advanced by the EFCC was “misconceived,” as there is no legal basis for the prosecution to cross-examine its own witness under the circumstances presented.
Bank Witness Details Large Transactions
After the ruling, the prosecution called Mshelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, as PW-4. Bata testified that the bank had submitted seven sets of account statements, all properly certified.
He explained that the Central Bank of Nigeria had set a cash withdrawal limit of N10 million per cheque for government accounts at the time
Referencing transactions from May 23, 2016, Bata identified an N10 million cash withdrawal under the name Abdulsalami Hudu. He confirmed that nine such withdrawals took place on that same date.
Bata also reviewed transactions dated January 30, 2018, confirming that ten separate credits, totaling about N1.092 billion, were paid into the account.
When asked to calculate the total withdrawals, he noted that they summed up to N1.968 billion across various dates.
At one point during his testimony, defence counsel Daudu interrupted, stating that the prosecution “knows these are security vote disbursements.”
The witness went on to read inflow and outflow records between May 2 and May 19, 2018, as part of the evidence submitted by the EFCC.
Following the completion of the prosecution’s examination of PW-4, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until June 27 for cross-examination.
Yahaya Bello is standing trial on charges related to alleged money laundering during his tenure as Kogi State governor. The case has drawn national attention and continues to generate intense legal arguments and procedural disputes between the parties.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.