Abuja – The Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, heard damning revelations on how over N3 billion allegedly belonging to various Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kogi State was siphoned and laundered through private bank accounts.

The details emerged during the ongoing trial of Ali Bello, nephew to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and current Chief of Staff to Governor Usman Ododo, along with Yakubu Isiaka Adabenege, Abba Adaudu, and Iyada Sadat. The quartet is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an 18-count charge bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of public funds.

During the proceedings, Remigius Egu, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank, testified as the sixth prosecution witness (PW6). He told the court how huge sums were funneled from LGA accounts in Kogi State into a private account belonging to Korforte Concept Limited.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Egu identified bank documents marked Exhibits E and E1 as having originated from Zenith Bank and addressed to the EFCC Zonal Command on March 16, 2022, detailing transactions involving one of the defendants, Yakubu Isiaka Adabenege.

According to the witness, multiple suspicious inflows were traced to the Korforte account on October 4, 2023, including:

• Ogori Magongo LGA: N14,844,640.57

• Ibeji LGA: N18,629,944.51

• Adavi LGA: N20,887,557.54

• Kogi LGA: N17,929.59

• Kabba/Bunu LGA: N18,460,569.12

• Ajaokuta LGA: N22,764,334.70

• Okene LGA: N20,758,710.37

• Yagba West LGA: N18,234,063.61

• Ofu LGA: N21,368,633.69

“My Lord, all the inflows were received on October 4, 2023,” Egu testified.

He noted that the account previously had a balance of N7,370, but immediately after the inflows, a N110 million transfer was made from the account to one of the defendants, Abba Adaudu.

On October 5, 2018, more funds were paid into the same account from other LGAs:

• Igalamela/Odolu: N19,480,651.20

• Olamaboro: N19,089,517.01

• Dekina: N23,373,201.67

• Ibaji: N15,653,631.39

• Omala: N16,876,252.03

• Lokoja: N20,591,073.74

A N21.9 million transfer was then made to Musa Omuya, with additional transfers including N10 million to Omuya and N5.1 million and N5 million to Adaudu on October 10, 2018.

Earlier, the fifth prosecution witness, Oyinkosola Akerele Shukurat, Managing Director of Forza Oil and Gas Limited, testified that her company received payments from one Abdul Bashir to purchase U.S. dollars, which were later transferred for school fees.

She confirmed that the sum of $139,000 was sent to the American International School (AIS) on behalf of Fatima Bello, Na’ima Bello, and Zara Bello, all allegedly linked to the former governor’s family.

While being shown Pages 14 and 15 of Exhibit D, Shukurat identified a $49,600 transaction, with $44,700 specifically for Fatima Bello. Page 23 revealed another $44,700 for the same beneficiary, and a third payment of $44,700 was made for Na’ima Bello.

During cross-examination, defence counsel A.M. Aliyu, SAN, and Nureini Jimoh, SAN, posed questions to both witnesses.

In a powerful statement that underscores the gravity of the allegations, Remigius Egu told the court:

“My Lord, all the inflows were received on October 4, 2023. Before that date, the account had a balance of just N7,370. But on that same day, N110 million was transferred to one of the defendants, Adaudu. Subsequent days showed similar patterns with more LGAs transferring funds, followed by large withdrawals to individuals like Musa Omuya and others.”

Justice Obiora Egwuatu adjourned the trial to May 5, 19, 20, and 21, 2025, for continuation of hearing.

The revelations have sent shockwaves across the political and civic landscape of Kogi State, raising serious questions about the handling of local government finances under the previous administration.

The statement from EFCC’s official Facebook page reads:

Post Views: 481

Related