Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello and EFCC logo
The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, before Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), presenting more evidence detailing multiple suspicious cash withdrawals allegedly linked to the Kogi State Government House accounts.
Bello is being prosecuted alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering to the tune of ₦110.4 billion.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the sixth prosecution witness, Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, continued his evidence-in-chief, narrating a series of large and repeated cash withdrawals made by Abdulsalami Hudu and others from the Kogi State Government accounts between 2016 and 2018.
Led in evidence under subpoena by the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Bata took the court through several entries in Exhibit S1, confirming multiple withdrawals made by the second defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu.
“On the 12th of February 2016, there were 21 withdrawals by Abdulsalami Hudu totaling ₦200 million,” the witness said. “Similarly, on the 10th of March 2016, I observed numerous withdrawals amounting to ₦326,598,750. However, after reviewing, I can confirm that the total was actually ₦100 million.”
He further told the court that on the 3rd of June, 8th of June, and 10th of June 2016, there were withdrawals of ₦100 million, ₦100 million, and ₦119 million respectively.
Responding to further questions from Pinheiro, the witness said that the pattern of withdrawals remained consistent across several dates in June and July of that year.
“Between the 8th and 29th of July, there were consistent cash withdrawals made by Abdulsalami Hudu. The same pattern continued through August,” he said
When asked about the source of funds, the witness stated: “On August 2, 2016, there was an inflow of ₦50 million from Kogi State statutory revenue account. Other inflows followed, ₦50 million from Idhu Integrated Services on August 9, and ₦15.5 million from the Ministry of Finance on August 10.”
He continued: “On the 31st of August 2016, there were 21 cash withdrawals by Abdulsalami Hudu totaling ₦188,741,000.
The pattern was consistent into September and October 2016, with several cash withdrawals on multiple dates.”
Bata added that on October 27, 2016, “there were 21 withdrawals amounting to ₦188,216,155,” and that on December 21, 2016, “there were 40 withdrawals made on the same day by the same individual, Hudu.”
He further disclosed that on May 9, 2017, “there were 29 withdrawals totaling ₦203,240,000,” and on October 12, 2017, “36 withdrawals were made,” while “on November 1, 2017, there were 20 withdrawals totaling ₦200 million.”
According to him, on the 30th and 31st of January 2018, cash withdrawals of ₦350 million and ₦347,267,000 were made respectively. “On the 1st and 2nd of February 2018, ₦300 million and ₦99,177,300 were withdrawn,” he said, adding that the total withdrawals for the four days amounted to “₦1,096,044,300.”
The witness also confirmed that Exhibit S1, the statement of account, showed that as of November 14, 2016, the account had a zero balance, with the first credit of ₦74,378,483.20 recorded on December 6, 2016. “On the same day, there were cash withdrawals totaling ₦30 million in favour of Mohammed Jamiu Salihu,” he said.
Continuing, Bata stated that on December 9, 2016, ₦40 million was transferred to Echies Designs and Cost Associate Limited, and that on April 21, 2017, there was an inflow of ₦202,302,745.20 from the Kogi State Internal Revenue. “After the inflow, there were 11 withdrawals totaling ₦101 million by Yusuf Abdulmumini,” he said.
