The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the money laundering case against former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to March 6 and 7, 2025.
The case, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, continued on Monday with testimonies from two prosecution witnesses, as the first witness, General Manager of Efab Properties Limited, Segun Adeleke, testified about properties in Maitama and Gwarinpa.
Adeleke stated that Bello’s name did not appear on any documents and that he had never met the former governor.
“My Lord, in 2020, while I was in the office, my chairman sent for me. His name is Chief Dr Fabian Nwora. He introduced me to a young man named Shehu Bello. Apparently, they had discussed purchasing a property, and my chairman told me that Shehu wanted to make payment.
“We agreed on ₦550 million for the property at Number 1, Ikogosi Road, Maitama. When Shehu returned, he came with U.S. dollars. My Lord, we had to confirm the exchange rate from a Bureau de Change, and the equivalent of ₦550 million was paid,” he added.
Adeleke said he met Shehu Bello three times during the introduction, payment, and when legal documents were executed.
When asked if he knew the bank used for the ₦550 million payment, he said, “No, my Lord.” He also could not recall the dollar equivalent of the amount.
When questioned about another property in Gwarinpa, he said, “House Twelve, 59 Crescent, Fifth Avenue, Gwarinpa, was purchased by one Nuhu Mohammed for seventy million. My Lord, it was a one-off payment via bank transfer to our account.”
The defence counsel, Joseph Daudu, asked Adeleke if he personally discussed the transactions with Shehu Bello, to which he replied, “Yes.” When asked if Shehu signed the documents in his presence, he said, “He did not, my Lord.”
