Alleged N110.4b fraud: Prosecution calls first witness in Yahaya Bello, others’ trial

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

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The prosecution in the criminal breach of trust case against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and two others opened its case yesterday. It called its first witness before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama.

Bello is standing trial alongside two others – Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu – on a 16-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed against them.

The three are accused of criminal breach of trust and committing financial impropriety to the tune of N110,446,470,089.

Led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), the witness, Fabian Nwora, said to be a property developer with EFAB Property Nigeria Limited, told the court how the sold a property to Shehu Bello but was later compelled by the EFCC to make a refund.

Nwora said EFCC officials invited him to their Abuja office on February 8, 2023, on a transaction between Shehu Bello and EFAB Property over a property located at Number 1 Ikogosi Street in Maitama, Abuja.

The witness said he sold the property to Shehu Bello but explained that the name on the sale agreement was Dr. Bello Ohiani and not Shehu Bello.

He recalled that in 2023, Shehu Bello told EFAB Property that the property the company sold to him was under EFCC investigation.

Nwora said Shehu Bello returned all documents on the purchase and demanded a refund of the N550 million he had paid.

The witness added that the anti-graft agency invited EFAB Property to explain what transpired between the company and Shehu Bello.

Nwora said at a point, the commission instructed EFAB to refund the entire sum to an EFCC-designated account, an instruction he said the company complied with by repaying the money in two tranches.

According to him, he never had any contact with either Shehu Bello or Dr. Bello Ohiani until December 2024 when the EFCC summoned the company’s officials to testify in court as witnesses in the case on their transaction with Shehu Bello.

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