A prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday testified before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court that funds drawn from several Kogi State local government accounts were used for procurement of supplies and services for the benefiting councils.
The witness, Mr. Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc and the EFCC’s 10th prosecution witness (PW10), gave evidence in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello. He told the court that over ₦109 million traced to various local government accounts was spent on agrochemicals, medical consumables, sports materials, educational supplies, and relief items.
At the commencement of proceedings, Egoro tendered 13 exhibits, including account opening documents and bank statements relating to the Kogi State Government House Administration and contractors associated with the transactions. Counsel to the second and third defendants challenged the admissibility of the documents, citing non-compliance with the Evidence Act. The court admitted the exhibits provisionally, stating that their evidential value would be determined at the final address stage.
During examination-in-chief, the witness reviewed inflows and outflows from the Government House Administration account and referenced Exhibit AP, containing bank records of Fazab Business Enterprise between January 2018 and December 2024.
Under cross-examination, Egoro confirmed that Fazab Business Enterprise had contractual relationships with several local governments and that payments were tied to procurement activities, including flood relief supplies in 2022. He acknowledged he was not the account manager for the relevant accounts and confirmed that Bello was not a signatory to the accounts nor chairman of any local government during the period in question.
The witness did not link any of the transactions to Bello as a beneficiary. The trial was adjourned to March 10, 11, and 12 for continuation.
