By Ameh Ochojila
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, adjourned sitting in the ongoing alleged money laundering trial of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to May 6 and 7, 2026, for continuation of cross-examination of the 12th prosecution witness.
The witness, Abdullahi Jamilu, who was given his initial statement to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to “refresh his memory”, said he made the statement to the EFCC on May 10, 2022.
He added, while being cross-examined by Yahaya Bello’s Counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, that it was the only statement he made to the Commission on the matter.
Jamilu, however, admitted that the issues relating to Wales Oil and Gas, Forza and Aleshua Companies were not in the statement he made to EFCC marked Exibit 46, adding that the names he read out in Exibit 13, pages 1 to 13, were not also contained in Exibit 46.
He also confirmed, under cross-examination, that he was not the maker of Exhibit 13.
Justice Nwite had dismissed the objection of the Defendant’s Counsel to the EFCC counsel’s bid to re-present Exhibit 46, the initial statement of the witness, saying that the objection was speculative and misconstrued.
The witness, however, recalled that he had given similar evidence before Justice Egwuatu at the Federal High Court.
When the Defendant’s Counsel reminded him that he was the third prosecution witness (PW3), he said he could not remember the exact witness number.
He, however, confirmed that the defendants in that case were Ali Bello, Abah Adaudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege and Iyadi Sadat.
The Defendant’s Counsel then moved to tender documents and they were admitted as Exhibit 47 without objection.
Looking at the exhibit, the witness admitted that the transactions he talked about in Justice Egwuatu’s court were about the same with the ones he talked about in this case.
He explained that he approached his colleagues to help him effect the dollar transfer payments before the court because his own accounts could not directly handle such.
The witness also said the names of the companies – Wales Oil and Gas, Forza Oil and Gas and Aleshua Services – were not contained in Exibit 46 because he was not asked and did not remember.
During his examination-in-chief by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the 12th EFCC witness said he remembered giving one Ali, a police officer, some dollars on behalf of Abba Adaudu.
He also noted that the companies mentioned earlier before the court – Aleshua Services, Wales Oil and Gas and Forza Oil and Gas – were companies owned by his colleagues at the market.
The witness added that whenever he did not have enough inflow of dollars to effect dollar transfers, he usually contacted his colleagues and agreed on a rate.
According to him, the instruction to pay American International School was given by Adaudu, who he said came to him with one of his friends for the transaction.
He, however, noted that he could not remember the name of the said friend.
He told the court that all the transfers were successfully effected to AISA, after which he forwarded the telex advice (transfer receipts) to Adaudu.
The witness was again told to confirm that the documents in Exhibit 13 (P 1- P14) were the telex advice and receipt of the school payment.
“Yes, but I just noticed that P13 and P14 are not part of the documents I tendered as part of the payment I made for the school fees,” he responded.
When asked, he mentioned the names of the students on behalf of whom the payments were made.
Justice Nwite, thereafter, adjourned to 6th and 7th May, 2026, for continuation of cross-examination of PW12.
