382
By Lizzy Chirkpi
Testimony at the ongoing corruption trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, took a notable turn on Friday after a prosecution witness conceded that the financial transactions at the centre of the ₦1.1 billion allegation did not violate banking regulations.
The witness, Mr. David Ajoda, a compliance officer with Sterling Bank, made the admission while testifying before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, presided over by Justice Maryann Anenih.
Ajoda told the court that the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KSIRS) paid a total of ₦1,164,929,569 to a tax consultant as commission over an eight-month period, between January and August 2019, shortly after the consultant was engaged by the state tax authority.
According to the banker, the consultant subsequently withdrew about ₦952.4 million from the account within the same period, leaving a balance of approximately ₦212.5 million. He said the withdrawals followed a consistent pattern and were carried out by Phillip Unar.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Prof. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), Ajoda tendered the consultant’s bank statements, which were admitted by the court. However, he acknowledged that he had no knowledge of the terms, scope, or legality of the consultancy contract between KSIRS and the consultant.
He further disclosed that prior to the consultancy arrangement, the account balance stood at just over ₦2 million, but experienced a sharp increase in inflows immediately after the engagement commenced.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN), who represents Yahaya Bello and co-defendant Umar Shuaib Oricha, the witness confirmed that the name “Kogi State Government” did not appear in any of the transactions linked to the account and that the bank account belonged solely to the tax consultant, who was legally entitled to operate it. He also told the court that CBN regulations permit individuals to withdraw up to ₦5 million per transaction and corporate entities up to ₦10 million, adding that the withdrawals did not breach CBN rules and, consequently, no suspicious transaction report was filed by the bank.
Ajoda further testified that neither Yahaya Bello nor any of his co-defendants appeared as beneficiaries of the withdrawals traced to the account. He also drew a clear distinction between the Kogi State Government and the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, stressing that both are separate legal entities under the law.
Yahaya Bello, who governed Kogi State from 2016 to 2024, is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaib Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu over corruption-related charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The prosecution alleges financial impropriety involving public funds during Bello’s administration, including the controversial payments made to a tax consultant.
Justice Anenih adjourned further hearing in the matter to February 10.
Legal observers say the latest testimony could reshape the prosecution’s narrative, as the case increasingly hinges on whether investigators can establish a direct and unlawful financial link between the accused persons and the disputed transactions.