A prosecution witness testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday about how he received N1 billion to renovate properties belonging to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello.
The witness, Aminu Rabiu, a businessman with Falala Construction and Interior Decoration Company, gave detailed accounts of the transactions during the trial of the former governor’s nephew, Ali Bello, and an alleged accomplice, Dauda Sulaiman.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged the two men with money laundering, alleging they were involved in the fraudulent diversion of N10 billion from Kogi State’s coffers during Yahaya Bello’s tenure.
Rabiu’s testimony gave a detailed report about his interactions with the former governor and the substantial funds he received for various renovation projects. He disclosed that he was introduced to Yahaya Bello through the governor’s wife, Amina Yahya Bello, in 2009. Following this introduction, Rabiu claimed he received N1 billion from different sources to renovate properties owned by the former governor.
He specifically mentioned undertaking renovation work on a house in Life Camp, Abuja, which he confirmed belonged to Yahaya Bello.
Rabiu further revealed that his company was contracted to demolish and rebuild the Presidential Lodge at the Kogi State Government House, a project for which he received over N600 million. His testimony highlighted extensive renovations, including work done in Kogi State and Okene.
He added that he remodelled and finished a house in Okene, a project that cost around N500 million and was paid for in cash, with the payments being made in Abuja.
The trial is part of a broader investigation into alleged financial misconduct by the former governor. Yahaya Bello faces separate charges of diverting over N80 billion from the state’s treasury, filed by the EFCC in the same Federal High Court.
The prosecution has also implicated Ali Bello and Dauda Sulaiman as accomplices in the case against the former governor. However, proceedings against Yahaya Bello have faced significant delays due to his repeated absences from court, stalling the trial on five different occasions.
Efforts by the EFCC to commence Yahaya Bello’s trial have been hampered by his absence, preventing the execution of an arrest warrant issued by the trial court since April. Despite being declared wanted by the EFCC, Yahaya Bello has evaded arrest, complicating the prosecution’s efforts to bring him to trial.
The court’s inability to proceed with the former governor’s trial has added to the challenges faced by the EFCC in its pursuit of accountability for the alleged financial crimes committed during his tenure.
The Witness said: “I also worked in Kogi State, Okene (Kogi State). I did the renovation. I remodelled the house and did the finishing. It was around N500 million. They paid me in cash. They were made in Abuja.”