Three witnesses in the trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello have told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that although there were large withdrawals from the state government accounts, Bello was not a beneficiary. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) called the witnesses to testify in the ongoing corruption case.

The witnesses—Mshelia Arhyel Bata of Zenith Bank, Mohammed Hassan of Keystone Bank, and Gabriel Oche of FCMB—submitted documents showing withdrawals from the Kogi State Government House Administration accounts. During questioning, they confirmed that Bello’s name did not appear as a signatory or recipient of any funds.

Mshelia Bata explained that she reviewed the account statements and could not find Bello’s name among the beneficiaries. She identified former government officials, including Chris Enefola, Onekutu Daniel, and Abdulsalami Hudu, as signatories responsible for the withdrawals. Other witnesses corroborated that Bello had no direct connection to the transactions.

The court proceedings continued on Thursday with EFCC represented by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, and Bello’s lawyers Joseph Daudu, SAN, and Umar Shuaib Oricha. Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned the case to January 16, giving the defence and prosecution time to review the evidence further.