An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Mshelia Arhyel Bata, on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that no banking law was violated in the withdrawals made by the Kogi State Government during the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
Bata, a compliance officer who testified as the fourth prosecution witness (PW-4), made the statement while being cross-examined by Bello’s counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), before Justice Emeka Nwite.
The witness also confirmed that Bello’s name did not appear as a beneficiary in any of the account statements presented by the prosecution as evidence in court.
Withdrawals Within CBN Limits
Under cross-examination, Daudu drew the witness’s attention to withdrawals made by one Umar Comfort Olufunke, which the prosecution had not mentioned earlier. Bata confirmed that the withdrawals, made between December 2017 and April 2018 in multiples of ₦10 million, were payments to various hotels in Kogi State.
She also identified another set of withdrawals made by Alhassan Omakoji between November 2021 and December 2022, none exceeding ₦10 million.
According to Bata, all the withdrawals complied with the cash withdrawal limits set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
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When asked by Daudu whether such withdrawals violated any law, she replied:
“Yes, my lord, the ₦10 million on the cheque is the maximum allowed threshold for cash withdrawal set by the CBN.”
No Evidence Linking Bello to Accounts
Responding to further questions, Bata reiterated that the name “Yahaya Bello” did not appear as a beneficiary on Exhibit 22, which contained the transaction details examined in court.
She also told the court that she was unaware of any law regulating how the Kogi State Government spends its funds or allocations.
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“I am not aware of any law that regulates how the Kogi State Government spends its money or allocation in its account,” she said.
Justice Nwite discharged the witness after the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), indicated that there would be no re-examination.
At a previous hearing, the same witness confirmed that Bello was neither a signatory to the accounts in question nor listed as a beneficiary in any of the transactions from pages 24 to 413 of Exhibit 22A.
Fifth Prosecution Witness Takes the Stand
The EFCC subsequently called its fifth witness (PW-5), identified as Akoni, another compliance officer. Akoni was led in evidence by prosecution counsel Chukwudi Enebeli (SAN).
A summons letter addressed to Ecobank was tendered and admitted in evidence, along with the statement of account of Moses Ailetu companies and a certificate of identification covering transactions between January 1 and January 31, 2016.
During cross-examination, Akoni confirmed that none of the deposits listed in the documents, ranging from ₦3 million to ₦20 million and totalling ₦57 million, carried the name of Yahaya Bello.
“None of them carries the name Yahaya Bello,” she said.
She added that it was not possible to determine the source of funds solely from the face of the account statements.
More Witnesses Testify
The prosecution went on to introduce its sixth witness (PW-6), Hassan, a relationship officer with a commercial bank. Hassan, who appeared on subpoena, presented the statements of account belonging to Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company.
The documents were admitted in evidence, along with a certificate of identification, after the defence raised no objection.
The seventh witness (PW-7), Egoro, also a compliance officer, testified under subpoena. Led in evidence by Pinheiro, he confirmed submitting 12 sets of documents requested by the prosecution.
“We supplied sufficient customer details extracted from the account opening packages at the time the customer opened the account,” Egoro stated.
Objection and Adjournment
Daudu did not object to the admission of the account statements but opposed the inclusion of other documents he described as irrelevant.
“I will not object to the account statements proper, but I will object to all the 12 purported extractions from the account opening documents attached,” he told the court.
Following the defence’s request, the prosecution detached the extraneous documents.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to November 11, 2025, for continuation of trial.
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.
