A senior official from Access Bank has provided detailed testimony on how billions of naira from various Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kogi State were allegedly channeled into private accounts through suspicious transactions during former Governor Yahaya Bello's administration.
Testifying before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, Ofure Achille, former Head of Operations at Access Bank's Lokoja branch, revealed that numerous suspicious cash lodgments and withdrawals occurred over several years, which were subsequently flagged and reported to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
Achille is the seventh prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ali Bello, nephew to former Governor Bello and current Chief of Staff to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo. Ali Bello faces 18 counts of money laundering involving the alleged diversion of N3 billion belonging to Kogi State.
Other defendants in the case include Abba Adaudu, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, and Rashida Bello, who are accused of using shell companies and personal accounts to move substantial sums of money.
Suspicious Transaction Patterns
During her testimony, the bank official highlighted multiple transactions involving hundreds of millions of naira that were inconsistent with the financial profiles of the account holders.
She cited specific examples, including the E-Traders account operated by Jamilu Abdulahi, which received deposits of N30 million over two consecutive days in December 2021, followed by additional deposits of N40 million and another N30 million in early 2022.
"These transactions were flagged and reported to the NFIU as Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) under anti-money laundering laws," Achille stated in court.
The witness further revealed that accounts linked to co-defendants—including Fazab Business Enterprise and Hyzman Ary Construction Limited—received substantial funds from various Kogi LGAs. She noted that on August 29, 2017, Ary Construction received inflows totaling N171 million, with the first deposit of only N10,000 made earlier that day.
EFCC Building Case
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's lead prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), guided the witness through documentary evidence detailing patterns of deposits and withdrawals that allegedly reflect the laundering of public funds.
This high-profile corruption trial continues before Justice Obiora Egwatu as prosecutors build their case against the defendants. The trial has attracted significant attention as it involves close associates and relatives of the former Kogi State governor.
The EFCC's investigation focuses on how public funds were allegedly diverted through a network of personal accounts and companies with little or no legitimate business activities commensurate with the volume of funds flowing through them.
The case has been adjourned for further proceedings as the prosecution continues to present evidence against Ali Bello and his co-defendants.
