In the ongoing trial of Ali Bello, purportedly the cousin of Kogi State’s former governor, Yahaya Bello, alongside Edward Bananda, a crucial moment unfolded as a prosecution witness admitted to being unable to recall if the defendants had made withdrawals from the state’s accounts.
The trial, conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is being held at the Federal High Court in Abuja, centering on a 10-count charge that accuses Bello and Bananda of engaging in misappropriation and money laundering.
As the proceedings resumed on Monday, the second prosecution witness, Bananda, faced cross-examination by the defense lawyers, A. M Aliyu (SAN) and Nureini Jimoh (SAN).
Jimoh, representing Suleiman, handed the witness three statements of accounts linked to the state government and asked him to recall if the defendants made any withdrawals.
Bananda, who had earlier pointed out that most withdrawals were made by Hudu Abdusalam, a cashier at the Kogi State House, admitted to being unable to recall if the defendants were involved in any withdrawals.
When questioned about identifying Hudu Abdusalam among the defendants, Bananda stated that he could not do so.
The witness, guided through account statements by Jimoh, emphasized that the majority of inflows were security funds belonging to the Kogi State Government. Notably, none of the withdrawals exceeded the Central Bank of Nigeria’s stipulated cash withdrawal limit of N10 million.
Reading from one of the account statements, Bananda highlighted significant inflows on specific dates in 2019, all categorized as security funds and withdrawn in tranches of N10 million each.
However, when Jimoh suggested that these funds were intended for the security purposes of Kogi State, the witness responded by stating that he did not have that information.
Under cross-examination by Aliyu, who represented Bello, Bananda clarified that one of the accounts belonged to the Kogi State Government House Administration.
He affirmed that the funds in the account were the property of the Kogi State Government, complete with names and signatories.
As the cross-examination concluded, the prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), expressed his intention to call another witness.
The trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, subsequently adjourned the proceedings until February 6 for the continuation of the trial.
The uncertainty surrounding the withdrawals and the intricacies of the case continue to unfold, leaving the courtroom on edge as the legal proceedings progress.
