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Mr. Segun Adeleke, a witness produced by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to testify against former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, has said that Bello’s name is not on the title documents of the two properties in Abuja allegedly acquired by Bello.
Persecondnews reports that the commission, through its team of lawyers led by Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), produced two witnesses that testified in the 19-count charge slammed on the defendant before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Bello is currently being tried for alleged money laundering to the tune of N80.2 billion.
The first witness, Adeleke, who identified himself as the General Manager of Efab Properties Limited, told the court that he was aware of transactions relating to a property at No 1, Ikogosi Crescent, Maitama, and another property in Gwarinpa.
The witness testified that his company sold a property in Maitama to Shehu Bello for N500 million, but notably, Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear on the title documents.
Giving an account of what transpired, he said it was his chairman, Chief Fabian Nwora who introduced Shehu to him sometime in 2020.
He said: “We had a discussion concerning the purchase of the property in question. And he told me that the young man would be coming back to make payment for the property at an agreed price of N550 million.”
He told the court that the second property in Gwarinpa was purchased by one Nuhu Mohammed for N70 million with the payment effected through a bank transfer.
Under cross-examination by Bello’s lawyer, Mr. J. B. Daudu (SAN), the witness revealed that Bello’s name was conspicuously absent from the title documents of the two properties in question.
He said: “I did not set eyes on the defendant at anytime and his name did not appear anywhere in the title documents.”
Mrs. Williams Abimbola, the second witness, testified that she serves as a Compliance Officer at United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA).
Abimbola said her bank was subpoenaed to produce documents before the court, among which she said included the statement of account of the Kogi State Government House.
Justice Nwite, however, adjourned the trial until March 6 to allow the second witness to complete her testimony.
Persecondnews recalls that the anti-graft agency had alleged that Bello used five proxies to acquire 13 luxury properties in Abuja and Dubai, with the properties reportedly purchased with proceeds of crime.
Additionally, It claimed that the former governor attempted to conceal over N3 billion by transferring the funds to proxies for safekeeping.
It further told the court that the defendant wired over $700, 000 to an account he maintained with a bank in the United States of America (USA) in breach of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.
The EFCC said the defendants’ actions constituted a public breach of trust, violating sections 18(a) and (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, and are punishable under Section 15 of the same Act.
The alleged fraud case has implicated several individuals, including the former governor’s nephew, Ali Bello, as well as four others: Dauda Suleiman, Shehu Bello, Rabiu Musa, and Abdulsalam Hudu, who is still at large.
Persecondnews had reported that Justice Nwite on December 13, 2024, granted Bello bail in the sum of N500 million with two sureties in another N80.2 billion fraud case and was remanded in Kuje Prison, Abuja.
After fulfilling his bail conditions, Bello was released from prison on December 20.
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