A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Daudu, counsel to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the N80.2bn corruption trial against his client is politically motivated and not a genuine money-laundering case.
Daudu made the submission on Wednesday during the continuation of Bello’s trial instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
His remarks followed claims by EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, that the mode of payments by local government areas in Kogi State amounted to “stealing by disguise.”
However, the seventh prosecution witness, Olomotane Egoro, a Compliance Officer with Access Bank Plc, admitted under cross-examination that Yahaya Bello was never a local government chairman in any of Kogi State’s 21 local governments.
The witness further confirmed that Bello’s name did not appear in any of the transactions under investigation—neither as a sender nor as a recipient of local government funds.
Egoro also testified that contracts referenced in the case were awarded by local government chairmen and that bank records tendered as exhibits showed transactions consistent with normal banking practices.
He admitted that, based on Exhibit 33(11), there was no indication of fraud and that the bank was not operating under any court order at the time of the transactions.
The witness further stated that he could not determine the specific purposes of some transactions or whether there was any contractual relationship between the local governments and certain companies involved.
He also reiterated that customers are free to spend their money as they choose unless fraud is established.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter to February 5 and 6, 2026, for continuation of trial.
