A bank representative testified in the FCT High Court in Abuja about substantial financial transfers made by the Kogi State Internal Revenue Services (KSIRS) to a private company while Governor Yahaya Bello was in office.
David Ajoma, the ninth witness and a compliance officer at Sterling Bank, confirmed that KSIRS executed six significant transfers totaling millions to Bespoque Business Solutions Limited (BBSL). Although BBSL has been mentioned in prior testimonies, its precise connection to the alleged N110 billion fraud case remains unclear.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Governor Bello alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, facing charges related to the misappropriation of Kogi State funds.
Bello, who governed the state from January 2016 to January 2024, is accused of diverting over N110 billion meant for state use. The EFCC alleges that he misused these funds to acquire properties in prime locations in Abuja and Dubai, UAE.
All defendants have denied the charges.
During testimony led by EFCC’s counsel Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ajoma detailed the transactions flagged by the EFCC as suspicious. Despite objections from Hudu’s attorney, A.M. Aliyu, regarding compliance with the Evidence Act and the Bankers Act, the court accepted the evidence.
Details of the Transfers
Ajoma revealed that BBSL’s account statement indicated a transfer of over N57.9 million on March 5, 2019. Additionally, on April 4, 2019, the company received over N138 million, labeled as “Kogi State commission for March.” Further amounts of N126.8 million and N97 million were transferred on May 3 and June 6, 2019, respectively. On August 6, 2019, BBSL received N183.6 million labeled for contractor payments, as well as N242.2 million for purchasing OPBEH from KSIRS.
After Ajoma’s testimony, the judge adjourned the hearing until January 16 for further proceedings.
Sixth Witness Insights on BBSL
Earlier, the sixth witness, Arhyel Mshelia, continued his cross-examination. He indicated that the transfers from KSIRS to BBSL’s Zenith Bank account lacked clear purpose. Mshelia also noted that while Hudu was listed multiple times on Kogi State’s account statements, his role was identified as the state’s accountant.
Tension arose during cross-examination when Hudu’s lawyer queried whether the third defendant was executing his superiors’ orders regarding withdrawals. Pinheiro objected, asserting that the witness, being a Zenith Bank employee, did not have insight into Kogi State’s internal operations. The judge upheld the objection.
Security and Offsec Funds
Mshelia mentioned numerous transfers to the government account designated for “security purposes, Offsec funds, and Sec funds.” An exchange occurred when Abbas inquired if “Sec Funds” referred to security funds. Pinheiro objected, clarifying that “Sec” could refer to a secretary, prompting Abbas to seek clarification on whether it was a standard acronym from the bank, to which Mshelia replied it was not.
Further Testimonies
The EFCC also presented Dantata and Sawoe Constructions’ account details through the seventh witness, Mohammed Bello, an Executive Trainee at Key Stone Bank. Bello revealed a transfer of N100 million to the construction company between February 17 and 22, 2021, with unclear identities linked to the transfers.
The eighth witness, Gabriel Oche, a compliance officer with FCMB, testified about a N30 million transfer to American International School on November 1, 2021, and another N34 million on November 2, 2021. When asked if the American School matched American International School, he clarified they were not the same.
In prior testimonies, Mshelia mentioned that $11,000 was transferred from a Whale Oil and Gas account purportedly for academic services related to Farida Oricha, linking the former governor to the American International School, where his children’s tuition was reportedly paid in advance.
Summary of Witness Testimonies
While the witnesses have yet to clarify specific individuals and companies involved, ongoing proceedings are expected to shed light on these matters. Two witnesses from Efab Properties Limited testified regarding a property sale linked to Shehu Bello, but neither mentioned the former governor or co-defendants.
Testimonies from bank staff, including compliance officers from UBA and Ecobank, indicated patterns of withdrawals for Special Security funds. Mshelia noted Hudu withdrew over N707 million from the government house account within two days in January 2018 and confirmed that over N200 million was transferred from KSIRS to BBSL during Bello’s governorship.
