, on Wednesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja){kind=link}
Lead counsel to former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, Joseph Daudu (SAN), on Wednesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the charges against his client were politically motivated and not related to money laundering.
Daudu made the claim during proceedings in the ongoing trial instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the former governor.
His argument came in response to submissions by the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), who had described the pattern of payments made by local government councils in Kogi State as a form of disguised theft.
The defence counsel countered the claim, insisting that the prosecution had failed to establish any direct involvement of Bello in the financial transactions under scrutiny.
The position of the defence was further supported by the testimony of the seventh prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, who told the court that Bello did not occupy the position of a local government chairman at any time.
The witness, who was subpoenaed by the EFCC and cross-examined by the defence, explained that the contracts referenced in the case were executed by local government chairmen and reflected in the accounts of companies tendered as exhibits.
Egoro told the court that the name of the former governor did not feature in any of the local government transactions being investigated, either as a beneficiary or originator of funds.
He also stated that the entries captured in Exhibit 33(11), relating to transactions between local governments and Keyless Nature Limited, conformed with standard banking procedures.
When questioned on whether he knew the purpose of payments made on October 11, 2022, from the 21 local government areas into the company’s account, the witness said he had no knowledge of the intent behind the transactions.
He further admitted that the records before the court did not indicate whether there was any contractual or business relationship between the local governments and Keyless Nature Limited.
The banker also told the court that customers were entitled to spend their funds as they wished, provided there was no allegation or report of fraud, adding that the bank was not acting under any court order in respect of the transactions.
On payments made to Fayzade Business Enterprise, Egoro identified an inflow dated May 6, 2022, from Okene Local Government Area, noting that the stated purpose was for the supply of reading materials.
He also detailed payments from Ogorimagongo, Okehi, Omala and Yagba local government areas for education materials valued at N4.4m, medical supplies worth N7.5m, sporting equipment amounting to N10.8m and medical consumables estimated at N12.2m.
According to the witness, other transactions were carried out for purposes ranging from the purchase of agrochemicals and farm inputs to medical consumables.
When asked directly whether Bello was a local government chairman in Kogi State, the witness responded in the negative.
Justice Emeka Nwite later adjourned the matter to February 5 and 6, 2026, for continuation of trial.