Yahaya Bello denies payment, and not a single EFCC witness could link him to the transaction, In a case that continues to raise more questions than answers, the second prosecution witness in the EFCC’s money laundering case against former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello has told the court that Bello “never paid” for the property. And just like that, the prosecution’s case began to crumble, one shaky testimony at a time.
Witness Says Yahaya Bello Never Paid for the Property
At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the FCT High Court, Segun Adeleke, the second prosecution witness and a manager at EFAB Property Limited, told the court that he had no dealings whatsoever with Yahaya Bello or the two other defendants, Umar Shuaib Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu.
Adeleke made it clear under oath that he did not know the defendants. In fact, when asked if their names appeared on any of the documents related to the property in question, he simply said “No.” Even the first prosecution witness, Fabian Nwora, had earlier admitted that none of the defendants paid any money into EFAB Property’s account.
So what’s the point here?
Witness Contradicts Himself in Court
During cross-examination, the defence team, led by Joseph Daudu (SAN), exposed inconsistencies in the testimony of Segun Adeleke. Daudu pointed out that while the witness had previously told Justice Emeka Nwite that the payment was made in one tranche, he had now told Justice Anenih that the payment was made in two tranches.
Adeleke hesitated, tried to explain himself, and then admitted that he had receipts — but still didn’t know who paid the money. His testimony sounded like a guessing game.
Prosecution Moves Forward
Despite all these revelations or lack of them — the EFCC prosecution team, led by Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), insisted on dragging the matter forward. Even documents tendered under subpoena by Mrs. Williams Abimbola only revealed a statement of account of the Kogi State Government House, not a single direct link to Yahaya Bello.
It was Shehu Bello, not Yahaya Bello, who approached EFAB for the said property. That fact was confirmed again and again by witnesses. And when Shehu later backed out of the transaction after EFCC’s intervention, the EFAB chairman said he was no longer interested.
So, if Yahaya Bello denies payment, and both prosecution witnesses couldn’t connect him to the transaction, what’s left of this case?
Yahaya Bello Denies Payment, and So Far, No Witness Has Disproved Him
Yahaya Bello denies payment, and with all the testimonies heard so far, no one has been able to disprove him. EFCC brought in witnesses, but none could say they had ever dealt with the former governor. The only people linked to the property were either not in court or had walked away from the deal themselves. So again, if there’s no direct proof and the witnesses are shaky, why is this trial still going on?
The case has now been adjourned to October 8, 9, and November 12, 13, 2025, for continuation. But if the EFCC is serious about proving anything, it may need more than just assumptions and confusion in court.
