Witness: Kogi Government Withdrawals Did Not Violate Banking Laws
A prosecution witness in the ongoing money laundering trial involving former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the withdrawals linked to the Kogi State Government did not violate banking regulations.
Appearing before Justice Emeka Nwite, Mshelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer from a commercial bank, stated that the transactions being examined by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were in line with legal banking limits.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN), the witness confirmed that although several withdrawals were made from the government account, the name of the former governor, Bello, did not appear as a beneficiary in any of the transactions tendered as evidence.
According to the witness, the withdrawals—carried out between December 2017 and April 2018—were made in batches of ₦10 million, with payments made to various hotels in Kogi State. The witness added that additional withdrawals by another individual between November 2021 and December 2022 also complied with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s transaction limit.
He further testified that he had no knowledge of any law dictating how the Kogi State Government should spend its funds, noting that his responsibility was limited to confirming transactions from the bank’s record.
After he was discharged, the fifth prosecution witness, Jesutoni Akoni, a compliance officer with Ecobank Plc, tendered account statements belonging to Moses Ailetu’s companies, showing cash deposits ranging from ₦3 million to ₦20 million and totalling ₦57 million. Akoni also confirmed that Yahaya Bello was not the beneficiary of those deposits.
Two more bank officials—Mohammed Bello Hassan of Keystone Bank and Olomotame Egoro of Access Bank—testified afterwards, submitting account records requested by the court. Some attached documents were later detached after objections from the defence.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter to November 11, 2025, for continuation of trial.
