N80.2bn Kogi Fraud Trial: Witness Details How Over N3.1bn LG Funds Were Funnelled Into E-Traders Account In Eight Months

The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, over the alleged laundering of N80.2 billion, took a dramatic turn on Thursday, January 29, 2026, as a prosecution witness laid bare how billions of naira traced to Kogi State local government councils allegedly passed through private company accounts.

Testifying before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, Prosecution Witness Seven (PW7), Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, gave a detailed account of suspicious inflows and massive cash withdrawals involving Fazab Business Enterprise and E-traders International Limited.

Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering amounting to N80,246,470,088.88.

Led in evidence by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, Egoro told the court that on May 6, 2022, Fazab Business Enterprise received 11 inflows from different Kogi State local government councils, including Yagba East, Yala, Ida and Okene. He added that further inflows were recorded on May 9, 2022, from Ibaji and Dekina local governments.

According to the witness, the total inflow from the councils between May 6 and May 9, 2022, stood at N117,938,762.29, almost all of which was withdrawn in cash within days.

Egoro identified Yakubu Siyaka A. as the individual who made repeated cash withdrawals, amounting to N116.6 million between May 9 and May 26, 2022, leaving barely N1.2 million in the account by the end of the month.

He further testified that similar patterns continued in June and July 2022, when Fazab Business Enterprise received N250.5 million from Kogi local governments, with about N198.9 million withdrawn in cash.

The witness said the inflows and withdrawals persisted from August to December 2022, during which N2.19 billion was paid into the account. Altogether, Egoro told the court, N2.56 billion flowed into the Fazab Business Enterprise account from Kogi State local governments between May and December 2022.

In addition to cash withdrawals totaling N582.3 million, the witness detailed several transfers to different entities, including Konforte Koncept Company, Abba Adaudu, Shetland Logistics Services Limited, Ejadams Essence Limited, and Hadassah Katriel Global Enterprise, which alone received N430 million through seven transfers between October and December 2022.

Turning to E-traders International Limited, Egoro revealed that between July 26, 2021, and April 6, 2022, the company received N3.145 billion in cash deposits, mostly in tranches of N10 million or less—a pattern consistent with structured transactions.

He told the court that the deposits were made mainly by Abba Adaudu, alongside Jamilu Abdullahi and Haruna Mohammed, all at the Lokoja Branch of Access Bank, even though the account was opened in Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

At the close of proceedings, defence counsel J.B. Daudu, SAN, applied for the temporary release of Bello’s international passport to enable him perform the lesser Hajj (Umrah) during Ramadan. The prosecution did not oppose the request but urged the court to notify the FCT High Court, where Bello is facing a separate trial.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to Friday, January 30, 2026, for the continuation of testimony by PW7 and further hearing.