“Court Adjourns Yahaya Bello’s Alleged Money Laundering Trial to April, May 2024”
The Federal Capital Territory High Court has adjourned the trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in an alleged money laundering case to April 3 and 24, 2024, and May 6, 2024, for continued hearing.
The case was adjourned after the first witness, Fabian Nworah, a property developer, testified. When the matter was called for hearing, the Prosecution Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that he had five witnesses to present that day. However, Justice Maryann Anenih ruled that only one witness could be heard due to time constraints, as she had other matters to attend to.
The court also announced it would not be sitting the following day (Thursday) as previously scheduled.
During the hearing, Joseph Daudu, SAN, counsel for the 1st and 2nd defendants, raised concerns that the prosecution had not provided the defense team with the statements on oath from the 2nd defendant. He pointed out that while the 1st defendant had not made any statements yet, the absence of key documents presented a serious challenge for the defense’s preparation.
Daudu also objected to the presentation of the prosecution’s first witness, arguing that the defendants had no prior knowledge of him and had only encountered him in court. He emphasized that proper legal proceedings required the prosecution to share witness statements in advance for cross-examination preparation.
Abubakar Aliyu, SAN, counsel for the 3rd defendant, also supported the request, stating that the prosecution had failed to provide statements for both the 2nd and 3rd defendants. He further requested that the court order the prosecution to supply additional materials related to digital evidence and forensic reports mentioned in the case’s proof of evidence.
The prosecution, however, opposed these applications, arguing that the defense was attempting to delay the proceedings. Pinheiro insisted that the proof of evidence had been served to the defense on November 27 and noted that the prosecution was only obligated to provide documents upon formal request, not all materials upfront. He urged the court to proceed with the hearing to avoid further delays.
Justice Anenih asked why the issues had not been raised earlier, to which Daudu replied that such concerns could only be addressed after the arraignment.
The judge ultimately declined to postpone the trial, allowing the prosecution to proceed with the case.
The first witness, Fabian Nworah, a property developer with Efab Property Nigeria Limited, then testified. Nworah explained that he was invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on February 8, 2023, regarding a property transaction involving Shehu Bello and EFAB Property. The property, located at No. 1 Ikogosi Street, Maitama, had been sold to Shehu Bello, but Nworah revealed that the sale agreement listed the buyer as Dr. Bello Ohiani, not Shehu Bello.
Nworah testified that in 2023, Shehu Bello informed EFAB Property that the property was under investigation by the EFCC. Bello returned all the documents related to the purchase and demanded a refund of the N550 million paid for the property. EFAB Property complied with the EFCC’s order and refunded the amount in two installments.
Since then, Nworah stated, he had not had any further contact with either Shehu Bello or Dr. Bello Ohiani, until December 2024, when the EFCC summoned them to court to testify as witnesses.
After hearing Nworah’s testimony, the court adjourned the case for further hearings on April 3, 24, and May 6, 2024.
