RismadarVoice Reporters
February 12, 2026
The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with the Tenth Prosecution Witness (PW10), Olomotane Egoro, detailing alleged movements of funds linked to Kogi State local government accounts.
Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, testified pursuant to a subpoena and was led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN.
He told the court that a loan of ₦2.1 billion was disbursed to Keyless Nature Limited on December 14, 2021. According to him, the loan was utilised and subsequently repaid through a series of payments.
The witness stated that between December 24, 2021, and July 5, 2022, multiple credit entries were made into the account from various Kogi State local government areas. He added that loan repayments made on January 14, February 14, March 14, April 14 and May 16, 2022, were sourced from the local government accounts.
“Up to December 2022, repayments were consistently made on the 14th of each month,” he said, noting that the pattern of repayments remained the same.
On another company, Westwood Limited, the witness disclosed that a principal loan of ₦818.7 million was disbursed on March 21, 2018. He told the court that in April and May 2020, multiple cash deposits were made by several individuals at the Lokoja branch of Access Bank to liquidate the loan, even though the account was domiciled in Abuja.
The witness further testified on transactions involving the Kogi State Government House account, stating that between December 2018 and August 2019, there were significant inflows followed by immediate cash withdrawals.
He identified names including; Aminu Jimoh Olarenwaju and Abdulsalami Hudu as individuals who made multiple cash withdrawals. In one instance, he said there were 10 withdrawals of ₦10 million each on consecutive days in January 2019, totalling ₦100 million. On August 1, 2019, he said 30 withdrawals of ₦10 million each were made in a single day, amounting to ₦300 million.
Egoro told the court that the bank filed Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) where transactions did not align with the customer’s profile.
Testifying on the account of Fazab Business Enterprise, he said that in May, June and July 2022, there were several inflows from Kogi State local governments, followed by immediate withdrawals by one Yakubu Adabenege Siyaka.
According to him, between June and July 2022, the total inflow from local governments into the account was ₦241.6 million, out of which ₦203.9 million was withdrawn in cash.
“Most of the withdrawals were structured to evade the reporting requirements,” he told the court, adding that the bank nonetheless filed the required reports.
The witness also testified on transactions involving E-Traders International Limited, Hayzma Business Enterprise and Keyless Nature Limited, describing a consistent pattern of inflows from Kogi State local government accounts followed by immediate transfers or cash withdrawals.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, P.B. Daudu, SAN, the witness confirmed that he was a compliance officer and not the relationship manager for the accounts. He stated that while the bank files Suspicious Transaction Reports, such reports cannot be publicly disclosed.
The court admitted several subpoenaed documents tendered by the prosecution as exhibits.
Justice Anineh adjourned the matter until March 10, 11 and 12, 2026, for continuation of trial.
