Yahaya Bello: BDC operator reveals how over $500m, N3bn flowed into his accounts

An Abuja-based Bureau of Change operator, Jamilu Abdullahi and third prosecution witness in the trial of Ali Bello, on Thursday, before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, gave a narrative of the financial transactions between him and the Kogi State government under former governor, Yahaya Bello.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which disclosed this in a post on its official X handle on Thursday, said the rundown includes how the ex-governor repeatedly paid the school fees of his three daughters in dollars through him and his companies.

Also mentioned in the case is Ali Bello, the current Chief of Staff to Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, nephew of Yahaya Bello. He is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 18-count charges of money laundering and misappropriation to the tune of over N3 billion, alongside Abba Daudu, Yakubu Adabenege, and Iyada Sadat.

According to EFCC, the witness disclosed that on one of the occasions, Abba Daudu, the second defendant, brought $300,000 in cash to him for the payment of Yahaya Bello’s daughters’ school fees, when led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo.

“Abba Daudu called me to say that they have a transaction although it was on the weekend, but I drove down to the office and waited for them to come. Upon their arrival, three of them came. One of them stayed in the car with the driver, two of them walked to my office and a friend of Abba Daudu was holding a black leather bag containing $300,000.

“Upon entering, he welcomed and Abba Daudu introduced him as his friend and business partner, saying he has a transaction. I have dropped $300,000 in cash. I wanted to count the dollars before they left, but I couldn’t due to the power outage. I told him I couldn’t use my hands and needed to confirm that it was $300,000, so I locked the dollars in my office safe and two of them left. Then, Abba Daudu’s friend said when I confirmed the sum, details would be forwarded to me for payment.

“However, the sum of $300,000 attracts some service charges which he said I should calculate and let Abba Daudu know. After I completed the transfer, I forwarded four receipts indicating $75,000 four times to Abba Daudu, and he confirmed to me that the payment was confirmed successfully,” he said.

When asked by the prosecution counsel if he knew anything regarding the transactions on Exhibit D, Pages 50, 52 and 53, he said: “Yes, I know the transactions of $75,000, being paid to the school four times totaling, the sum of $300,000 as forwarded by Abba Daudu and further confirmed that the fees were paid for one of Yahaya Bello’s daughters. And the name of the recipient is Naima Ohunene Bello,” he said.

Another payment of the fees, he recalled, was made by a company, Aleshua Solutions Services, which he said paid the sum of $42,170 for Naima Ohunene Bello.

“It was paid on behalf of the student Naima Ohunene Bello for school fees based on the instruction and as forwarded by Abba Daudu, and the date is 24th January 2022,” he said.

On Page 7 of Exhibit D was $78,160 he identified as payment for school fees through Aleshua Solutions Services in respect of another Yahaya Bello’s daughter, Fatima Oziohu Bello. “Based on the receipt before me, I am seeing acknowledgment of $78,135 being paid for Fatima Bello and on the Aleshua Solutions Services,” he stated.

On Page One of Exhibit D, he identified a transaction of $44,675 also for Naima Bello. “I have seen it on the receipt of the payment. $44,700 was paid to the school, but due to internal charges from the bank, $25 was deducted, making the total balance of $44,675,” he said.

The beneficiary school, he told the court, was American International School, AIS.

Regarding transactions from Daudu’s company, Keyless Nature Limited, to his own Kunfayakun company’s account on December 15 and 17, 2021, he said: “I received the sum of N100 million on the 15th December 2021 from Keyless Nature. On the 17th December, 2021, I received N400 million. Meanwhile, on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd, December 2021, I received N100 million. On the 22nd December 2021, I received the sum of N100 million only. On the 23rd December 2021, I received N35 million.

“I also received payment from Remita International in the sum of N40 million on 12th December, 2021, and there was an entry of N33 million on the 17th of December 2021. On the 7th February 2022, I confirmed the receipt of N90 million from Keyless Nature,” he said.

Counsel to Ali Bello, first defendant AM Aliyu, who wished to cross-examine the witness, asked for an adjournment to enable him to study and have a full grasp of the massive facts and figures involved. Nurain Jimoh, counsel to the second, third and fourth defendant agreed with him, while the prosecution counsel objected to the adjournment on the account that the witness has been in the dock since February 6, 2023.

“I believe the cross-examination of PW 3 should begin. If there are other grounds, however, the application can be sustained. If not, I urge your Lordship to turn it down,” he argued.

Justice Egwuatu admitted the matter until October 25, 2024, and November 5 and 6, 2024 for the continuation of trial.

It could be recalled that while testifying on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, the witness identified that Page 9 of Exhibit D also contained $11,000 payment by Whales Oil and Gas to AIS, which was done based on Daudu’s directive, being the one who gave him the account details into which he made the payment.

He further explained on the same date that exhibits 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 were all payments to AIS. Exhibit 16, he said, captured payments of $7,653 to Bello Nana Fatima. The same he said applied to the payment of $19,296 on Page 17 and $7,725 on Page 18, while pages 19, 20 and 21 captured payments of $6,611.29, $21,470 and $21,492, respectively, in favor of Zahra Bello.

He also narrated on September 24, 2024, how cash deposits running into millions of naira were made into his E-Traders International Limited and Kunfayakun companies’ accounts as well as to his personal account by Daudu.

According to him, on July 27, 2021, he received N10 million and on August 19, 2012, there was a cash deposit of N100 million in N10 million tranches and N100 million deposit on August 25, 2021.

On August 30, 2021, he disclosed that there was a N63 million deposit and an additional N50 million a day later, on August 31, 2021, into his account. He further disclosed that on September 2, 2021, there was a double N30 million lodgment totaling N60 million.

He has stated that the inflows into his accounts continued on October 8, 2021, with a transfer of N60 million and a double inflow of N130 million and N139.5 million on November 4, 2021.

On November 10, 2021, N25,134,000 flowed in; another N50 million, he said, flowed in on November 12, 2021, and N200 million on November 30, 2021. The inflows, he said, continued on December 1, 2012, with N220 million and N16,008,000 on December 3, 2021. On December 22, 2012, he said N40 million flowed in from the same source.

The witness, in his September 24, 2024 testimony, also admitted that Kayless Nature Limited deposited N100 million to him on December 21, 2021, with the authorization of the second defendant.

On December 22, 2021, another N100 million, he said, flowed in from Kayless Nature Limited, and another N60 million from the company on December 29, 2021.

The financial traffic continued into the New Year. According to him, on January 18, 2022, N40 million flowed in and continued thereafter.

“On the 19th of January, 2022, I received N50 million, while on the 24th, 2022, I received N30 million, and on the 28th of that same January, 2022, I received N40 million cash in four tranches, and another N120 million . On January 31, 2022, I received an inflow of N160 million, while on February 1, 2022, I received N110 million, and N150 million on February 8, 2022,” he said.

He has further disclosed that on March 2, 2022, a total of N84 million was deposited in his account with another lump sum of N122,980,000 on March 10, 2022 and N60 million on March 21, 2022.

On April 5, 2022, I have stated that N150 million flowed in and N140 million a day later, on April 6, 2022.