Segun Atanda/
In a testimony before the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, Jamilu Abdullahi, an Abuja-based Bureau de Change (BDC) operator, has disclosed financial transactions linking the Kogi State government under former Governor Yahaya Bello to several questionable payments, including lavish school fees for his daughters in dollars.
Abdullahi, the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ali Bello and others, narrated how millions of dollars and naira were funneled through his accounts, connecting the money trail to the former governor’s personal and governmental finances.
Ali Bello, nephew to Yahaya Bello and current Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo, is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 18-count charges of money laundering and misappropriation, alongside Abba Daudu, Yakubu Adabenege, and Iyada Sadat. The sum involved exceeds N3 billion.
During Thursday’s hearing, Abdullahi outlined how Daudu, the second defendant, brought $300,000 in cash to his office for the payment of school fees for Yahaya Bello’s daughter, Naima Ohunene Bello. The funds, intended for the American International School (AIS), were transferred in four tranches of $75,000 each.
The BDC operator also revealed additional dollar payments made by Aleshua Solutions Services for Yahaya Bello’s daughters, Naima and Fatima Bello, with amounts ranging from $42,170 to $78,160. Abdullahi further identified transactions in his records involving large sums of naira, with N400 million and N100 million deposits made by Daudu’s company, Keyless Nature Limited, on multiple occasions between December 2021 and early 2022.
The financial traffic, which continued into 2022, raised significant red flags. Abdullahi testified that more than 40 large transactions were routed through his personal and business accounts, with sums ranging from N25 million to as high as N200 million per transaction.
The defense sought an adjournment to review the overwhelming volume of evidence, which was granted by Justice Obiora Egwuatu. The trial is set to continue on October 25, 2024.
The EFCC’s investigation has shed light on the extensive movement of funds between the former governor’s administration, business entities, and personal accounts, further intensifying scrutiny over the financial conduct of Yahaya Bello’s regime.
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