Court to decide on EFCC documents in Yahaya Bello trial
Three to four sentences introducing the article:
The Federal High Court in Abuja is set to rule on the admissibility of documents presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello. The case involves allegations of money laundering amounting to N80.2bn. Disputes arose over property documents linked to a real estate transaction, with the defence challenging their certification and admissibility. Multiple witnesses, including compliance officers from FCMB and Polaris Bank, testified regarding the transactions and the involvement of Yahaya Bello.
What happened
- Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to March 9, 2026, for a ruling on the admissibility of the documents.
- The defence, led by Joseph Daudu (SAN), argued that the documents were inadmissible due to lack of proper certification.
- The prosecution, represented by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), maintained that the documents supported oral evidence about the property transaction.
- Witnesses, including Gabriel Ochoche and Oluwafemi Victoria, testified that Yahaya Bello's name did not appear in the bank documents under review.
- The court heard that only the account holders could explain the purpose of certain transactions, and that Yahaya Bello was not directly linked to them in the presented exhibits.
