Yahaya Bello : No Banking Regulation Breached In Fund Withdrawals- EFCC

A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, was on Wednesday, told that no banking regulation was breached in the withdrawals of funds by the government house administration under former governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mrs Williams Abimbola said that her bank, United Bank for Africa, UBA, acted within the ambit of the law during withdrawals by one of the defendants in the money laundering charges.

The banker who was cross examined by A. M Aliu, counsel to Abdulsalami Hudu specifically told the court that non of the withdrawals was above N10 million being the maximum allowed by law for withdrawals.

When the matter was called for continuation of hearing, the witness, a Compliance Officer with UBA, admitted that she had given similar evidence before the Federal High Court in FHC/ABJ/CR/98/2024 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Yahaya Adoza Bello hence admitted not ben the account manager of the Kogi Government House noting the account was domiciled in Lokoja adding that the transactions were in line with stipulated guidelines.

The witness, who had testified that she worked at the Area 3, Abuja branch of UBA at a previous Federal High Court hearing on March 6, 2025, told the court that she could work at any branch.

On cross-examination, Yahaya Bello’s Counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, asked the witness if as a Compliance Officer, her duty involves protecting the integrity of the bank from legal penalty, reputational damage and financial losses to which she responded “Yes”.

She had, while testifying, confirmed multiple transactions by Abdulsalam Hudu in the sum of N10 million each between 31st July and 6th August, 2019 told the court that she was not in a position to know why the withdrawals were made.

When asked if no banker demands to know the purpose for which a customer makes a withdrawal, she explained that when making transfers, the bank asks for the purpose of transaction and relationship on high volume transactions adding that the bank does not make such enquiries in the case of cash withdrawal, noting that the banker was not an internal auditor of the customer.

On transfers, in tranches, by one Bello Abdullateef, on July 5, 2019, she noted, on cross-examination, that her bank did not breach any regulations in allowing the withdrawals or transfers.

During cross-examination by the Counsel to the 3rd defendant, A.M. Aliyu, the witness was presented with a bank statement (Page 3 of F1, May 27, 2019), where the withdrawals were made and she admitted that the narration on the credit entry was the Governor’s security fund, and noted a credit entry of N100 million, in two tranches of N50 million each.

Earlier, during cross-examination by Daudu, the witness had admitted that she had not met or had any business to do with the 2nd defendant, Umar Oricha, noting she had not met the first defendant, the former Governor Yahaya Bello, before.

Counsel to the 1st Defendant, Joseph Daudu, SAN, had ealier informed the court about an application before it, challenging its jurisdiction, and prayed the court to take their application so as not to waste precious time on witnesses.

Prosecution’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, however, argued that the application was not ripe for hearing and that the motion should wait until November 12, another date for hearing calling its 4th subpoenaed witness, Jesutoni Akoni, a Compliance Officer with Ecobank, who confirmed that he had a 13-page document before him.

Counsel to the 2nd defendant, AM Aliyu, however, objected to the admissibility of the document tendered, saying it did not comply with the provisions of the Evidence Act hence discovered that the document tendered by the prosecution was actually addressed to Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court to which the prosecution admitted this and withdrew the cover letter.

The witness admitted, on cross-examination, that the name of Hudu Abdulsalam did not feature as a signatory to the account saying that he did not know the three signatories to the account and Justice Maryann Anenih thereafter adjourned further hearing till October 9, 2025.

Garry Ochigbo, Edited By Grace Namiji