By Muhammad Mamman
A bank official has told an Abuja High Court how over ₦1 billion was withdrawn within nine months from the Kogi State Government House account by a co-defendant in the ongoing fraud trial of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
Abimbola Williams, a compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), testified that ₦640 million of the withdrawals occurred within just six days—from 31 July to 6 August 2019. She identified 64 separate transactions on the account during that period.
The accused accountant, Abdulsalami Hudu, is standing trial alongside Bello and another co-defendant, Umar Shuaibu Oricha. The trio face 16 counts of fraud, including alleged diversion of over ₦110 billion belonging to Kogi State.
Williams told the court that some withdrawals were labelled as “special security funds” for the then-governor. She explained that while each cheque withdrawal was under the ₦10 million limit, the cumulative transactions triggered a suspicious transaction report.
Two more bank officials from Ecobank and Polaris Bank also testified, presenting account records linked to individuals allegedly connected to the case.
Justice Maryanne Anenih adjourned the trial until 9 October for continuation.
