The legal proceedings for the ex-governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, proceeded on Thursday, March 8, 2025, as the third prosecution witness, PW3, Nicholas Ojehomon, was questioned under cross-examination by Justice Emeka Nwite from the Federal High Court in Abuja. During his testimony, he clarified that the American International School, Abuja (AISA) held onto some portion of the school fees associated with Bello’s daughters since these funds constituted valid educational charges received by the institution.
The findings from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, revealed that an amount totaling $845,852.84 associated with illicit gains was transferred to AISA on behalf of Bello’s offspring. The commission has called for complete repayment of this sum. Nonetheless, only $760,910.84 were remitted back to the commission by the educational institution.
During the cross-examination conducted by the defense attorney, J.B. Daudu,SAN, the witness—a school auditor—was prompted to explain the discrepancy of $84,942 between the funds provided to the institution and those returned to the EFCC.
As a reply, the witness stated that the reimbursement covered prepaid school charges for the kids, whereas the kept money was intended for education services provided throughout the term.
“The amount of $760,910.84 represented the pre-paid portion of the school fees, which was returned to the EFCC. The remaining balance was identified as the actual tuition fee owed for the academic term, which the institution kept accordingly,” he explained.
During an earlier session, the witness stated that every payment received by the school—whether from individual donors or international corporations—was intended solely for the advantage of Bello’s offspring.
He recognized the children as Zara Omoneke Bello, Fatima Bello, Na’ima Ohunene Bello, and Farid Bello.
He added that the institution independently decided to keep the remaining amount according to their own billing policies, and that they did not receive any instructions from the EFCC requiring them to hold back portions of the payment.
As the cross-examination began to veer off course, prosecuting attorney Olukayode Eniola, SAN raised an objection. He characterized the defense’s questions as an effort to lead the witness into offering opinions that extended beyond the documentation presented in court.
“He will not face a trial and needs protection from questions that are speculative or prejudiced,” he stated.
After the objection was raised, the defense requested an adjournment to enable them to examine the subsequent exhibit or, as an alternative, asked for the case to be temporarily suspended. However, this move provoked the chief prosecutor, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, who alleged that the defense was intentionally delaying the proceedings.
The main prosecutor also expressed worries over the trouble faced by the prosecution witnesses who came to court without being able to give their testimony.
“My lord, I am concerned that some witnesses are stepping away from their workplaces even though they might not be summoned for the trial. Given the significant public attention this case has garnered, out of my 28 witnesses, I’ve only managed to hear from three,” he stated.
In adjourning the case until Friday, May 9, 2025, for the ongoing cross-examination of the witness, Justice Nwite instructed that all required document and exhibit reviews must be finished prior to this new hearing date. This directive was aimed at preventing additional postponements and ensuring a seamless progression of the trial proceedings.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is pursuing legal action against Yahaya Bello based on a 19-count indictment involving allegations of criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to N80.2 billion. These accusations contravene Section 18(a), with penalties outlined under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (amended version).
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