EFCC Witness: I Never Got Instructions from Ex-Gov Yahaya Bello on Disputed Abuja Property

By Kayode Lawal.

The 14th prosecution witness in the ongoing alleged money laundering trial of the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and two others, on Friday, told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory that he never had any conversation with the three defendants regarding the property before the court.

The witness, Ramadan Jibrin, a staff of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), said, while being cross-examined by the Defendant’s Counsel, Abdullahi Yahaya, SAN, that he also never got instructions from any of the three defendants.

Shuaib Oricha and Abdusalam Hudu are the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the N110bn alleged money laundering case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against the former governor.

The witness admitted that he had earlier testified as the fifth prosecution witness at the Federal High Court in the suit matter, “FHC/ABJ/CR/550/2022” before Justice James Omotosho.

He agreed that throughout the course of the transaction he never met any of the three defendants present in court.

The witness said he received instruction to be part of the transaction regarding the property, located at No. 35, Danube Street, Maitama, through one Shehu Bello Bala.

Jibrin also admitted that he was not present when the payment for the property was made, noting that one Yakubu Haruna was the one who told him what was paid.

“So, because you were not there, you wouldn’t know in what currency the payment was made,” the Defendants’ counsel told the witness.

“Yes, I was told,” he responded.

“Everything you know about the currency is what you were told,” Yahaya SAN said.

“Yes,” the witness responded.

The witness had earlier told the court that, sometime in January 2022, he received a call from Shehu Bello Bala, who he said was his friend, that some agents introduced the property before the court for sale.

He said he was told to help do due diligence on the property, which he did.

According to him, he received a call on Friday, January 15, 2022, thay the payment for the property would be made after Friday prayer and that he should be on standby.

He told the prosecution counsel that he interfaced with Ali Bello through Shehu Bala.

He said it was Yakubu who told him for how much the property was sold, noting that he only collected the documents and passed it to Shehu Bala for onward transmission to Ali Bello.

The winess said, “I was given a name – White Tree Nigerian Limited – to assist in preparing the relevant documents relating to the transaction. So, I prepared the deed of assignment between Palchi Ventures limited as the assignor and White Tree Nigerian Limited as the assignee for the deed of assignment.

“The Power of Attorney was done between the same parties as the donor and donee. I handed over the documents to Barr Yakubu for his client to execute their own part which was done and returned to me sometime in March, 2022. and I handed them over to Shehu Bello Bala.”

Justice Maryann Anenih thereafter fixed ruling on a pending application for May 22 and adjourned to June 16 and 17 for continuation of trial.