EFCC vs Yahaya Bello: Witness denies business dealings with ex-Kogi gov in alleged N110bn fraud

An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)  witness, Lamalan Jibrin, on Friday told a Federal Capital Territory High Court that he had no business dealings on any property with the former governor Yahaya Bello.

 

Jibrin, who is the 15th prosecution witness in the trial of Bello and co-defendants, is a lawyer with the Federal Capital development Authority (FCDA).

 

The witness was cross-examined by Bello ‘s counsel, Abdullahi Yahaya, SAN.

 

Bello is charged alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalam Hudu with 16 counts bordering on breach of trust.

 

They were alleged to have committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the sum of N110,446,470,089, among others.

 

Bello and his co-defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

 

Jibrin also told the court that he never got instructions from any of the three defendants.

 

The witness admitted that he had earlier testified as the fifth prosecution witness at the Federal High Court in the suit matter, “FHC/ABJ/CR/550/2022” before Justice James Omotosho, where he denied any dealings with the former governor.

 

He agreed that throughout the course of the transaction he never met any of the three defendants present in court.

 

The witness said he received instruction to be part of the transaction regarding the property, located at No. 35, Danube Street, Maitama, through one Shehu  Bala.

 

Jibrin also admitted that he was not present when the payment for the property was made, adding that one Yakubu Haruna was the one who told him what was paid.

 

“So, because you were not there, you wouldn’t know in what currency the payment was made,” Yahaya (Bello ‘s counsel) asked .

 

“Yes, I was told,” the witness responded.

 

Yahaya asked further that everything he knew about the currency was what he was told.

 

“Yes,” the witness responded.

 

During his evidence in chief by the prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the witness told the court how he was engaged in the documentation of the property.

 

He said, sometime in January 2021, he received a call from Bala, whom he said was his friend, that some agents introduced the property before the court for sale.

 

He said he was told to help carry due diligence on the property, which he did.

 

“I received a call on Jan. 15, 2021, that the payment for the property would be made after Friday prayers and that I should be on standby.

 

He told the court that he interfaced with Ali Bello through Bala.

 

In addition, he said that he only collected the documents and passed it to Bala for onward transmission to Ali Bello.

 

The witness said, “I was given a name – White Tree Nigerian Limited – to assist in preparing the relevant documents relating to the transaction.

 

” So, I prepared the deed of assignment between Palchi Ventures limited as the assignor and White Tree Nigerian Limited as the assignee for the deed of assignment.

 

“The Power of Attorney was done between the same parties as the donor and donee.

 

” I handed over the documents to Barr Yakubu for his client to execute their own part which was done and returned to me sometime in March, 2021. and I handed them over to Shehu Bello Bala” the witness told the court.

 

Earlier, counsel for the 3rd defendant argued his application for lack of jurisdiction.

 

Justice Maryann Anenih, then adjourned until May 22 for ruling on three pending application and June 16 for continuation of trial.

 

 

With no objection from defence counsel, Justice Anineh granted the application for withdrawal.

 

 

 

Moving his application challenging the jurisdiction of the court, Abbas informed the court that the application, filed on March 23, 2026, sought an order striking out the trial for want of jurisdiction.

 

“The said application is seeking an order of the court striking out the trial in this court because it lacks jurisdiction,” Abbas submitted, urging the court to grant the application.

 

 

 

In response, prosecution counsel, Adetokunbo, informed the court that the prosecution had filed a 20-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by one Abubakar Wara on May 5, 2026, alongside a written address opposing the application.

 

 

 

He argued that the application was fundamentally defective because the applicant was not a defendant in the cases pending before the Federal High Court which formed the basis of his argument.

 

“My lord, this shows that the foundation of the application is weak and must collapse,” he said.

 

 

 

He further argued that the applicant himself had acknowledged that the charges before Justice Anineh, which bordered on criminal breach of trust, were different from those before the Federal High Court, which bordered on money laundering and other offences.

 

“So my lord it is apparent that the two charges are different and distinct,” he submitted.

 

 

 

Adetokunbo also contended that the authorities relied upon by the defence, including FRN vs Agaba and FRN vs Yahaya, were distinguishable from the instant case.

 

“It is worthy to mention the issue before the court was whether the Federal High Court has the jurisdiction to try money laundering offences, my lord that was the issue and that is not before your lordship,” he argued.

 

He urged the court to dismiss what he described as “this unworthy application.”

 

Following the conclusion of arguments and with no re-examination of the witness, Justice Anineh discharged PW15 from the witness box and adjourned the matter till May 22, 2026, for ruling on the three pending applications, and June 16 and 17, 2026, for continuation of trial.