The ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello took a dramatic turn on Thursday, as the third prosecution witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, admitted under cross-examination that there was no wire transfer of funds from the Kogi State Government or any local governments in the state to the American International School (AISA) in Abuja.
Ojehomon, who serves as the internal auditor at AISA, testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja during the trial for alleged money laundering and financial mismanagement involving Bello and his associates.
The EFCC, led by prosecutor Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), had earlier accused Bello of diverting public funds, including a payment of $760,910, to AISA.
However, Ojehomon’s statement contradicted the prosecution’s claims, revealing that no official transactions from the state government were involved in the payment.
The testimony focused on the alleged transfer of the $760,910, which the EFCC claimed was linked to Bello. Ojehomon was shown Exhibit 19, a judgment from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, which had earlier ruled on the matter.
NAIJAONPOINT confirmed that the judgment stated there was no court order for AISA to refund the money to the EFCC or to declare it proceeds of money laundering.
When cross-examined by the defendant’s counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), Ojehomon admitted that no wire transfer had come from the Kogi State Government or its local governments.
“No, there is no such name,” Ojehomon said when asked whether the Kogi State Government was listed in the payment records.
The issue of document admissibility had been a point of contention in the trial. The EFCC had earlier objected to the admission of the FCT Court judgment, but Justice Emeka Nwite overruled the objection, citing the principle of relevance.
“The document sought to be tendered is hereby marked as Exhibit 19,” the judge declared, emphasizing that the case was now centered on substantial justice rather than technicalities.
NAIJAONPOINT read out sections of the judgment, which ruled that AISA had a binding contract with the Bello family for future school fee payments. The judgment also affirmed that AISA could not make payments to the EFCC or any other party without a court order.
Throughout the proceedings, the defense team, led by Daudu, sought to counter the prosecution’s narrative. Daudu argued that the EFCC’s claims regarding the funds’ origin were unsupported by factual evidence.
“My lord, what I am saying is that I should be allowed to conduct my case because it may be devastating to my case if I am not allowed to,” Daudu emphasized, pointing out that the judgment had already been admitted by the court.
In response to the EFCC’s objections, Daudu asserted his right to present the defense’s case in the manner he saw fit. The judge ruled in favor of the defense, allowing NAIJAONPOINT to read and discuss the judgment, which was critical to the defense’s argument.
As the case continues, the key issue remains whether the funds in question were properly allocated and whether they constitute proceeds of money laundering.
The court has now adjourned the case to May 9, 2025, for further proceedings and cross-examination of the former governor.