Witness clears Yahaya Bello of property deals in EFCC trial

In a significant development in the ongoing multi-billion naira money laundering trial of Yahaya Bello, a key prosecution witness testified on Wednesday that the immediate past Governor of Kogi State was completely detached from the controversial property transactions before the court. The seventeenth prosecution witness, Shehu Bello Bala, affirmed during cross-examination that neither the former governor nor his co-defendants participated in the real estate deals, pointing instead to a deceased agent, Farouk Bello, as the individual who handled the transactions before the assets came under scrutiny by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Bala, a commodity trader from Katsina State, made these statements while being cross-examined by defense counsel Paul Daudu, SAN. His testimony directly challenges key elements of the prosecution’s narrative regarding how the disputed assets were acquired and managed.

According to Bala, the entire transaction structure relied on Farouk Bello rather than the accused public officials. He explained to the court that following Farouk’s passing, he was approached by an individual holding the property documents who wished to liquidate the assets. This prompted Bala to return the title documents, specifically the deed of assignment and power of attorney to the chairman of Efab Estate.

“That was when we realised that the property was being investigated,” Bala testified, adding that a second property, which was not marked or seized by the anti-graft agency, had been purchased directly by Farouk.

The cross-examination briefly turned into a point of contention between the legal teams when Daudu questioned whether the second defendant, Ali Bello, had inherited the unmarked property from his mother, arguing that the line of questioning was necessary to lay a foundation for the defense. However, lead prosecution counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, quickly interjected, objecting that the witness’s prior testimonies had nothing to do with family inheritance.

To clarify his relationship with the accused, Bala confirmed to the court that he is not from Kogi State and shares no family ties with Yahaya Bello, Ali Bello, or Farouk Bello. He noted that his connection to Ali Bello was strictly commercial, dating back roughly 14 years.

“I knew Ali Bello in the course of my business which is commodity trading,” Bala said. “We have done quite a number of businesses like buying grains from the North. We buy ginger and other products from the North and sell it. This was around 2012-2013. I also know that he is into real estate.”

When cross-examined by A.M. Aliyu, SAN, counsel for the second and third defendants, the witness further maintained that he did not know the third defendant and confirmed that the third defendant played no part in the real estate transactions under judicial scrutiny. The trial continues as the court evaluates the witness testimonies regarding the financial impropriety allegations.