The 17th prosecution witness in the ongoing N110.4 billion money laundering trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has testified that the ex-governor was not involved in the acquisition of five Abuja properties currently being investigated by the court.

Testifying under cross-examination before Justice Maryanne Anenih at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, the witness, Shehu Bello Bala, also cleared the second defendant, Umar Shuaibu Oricha (Director General of the Kogi State Government House), of participating in any of the transactions.

Bala, an estate agent and commodity trader from Katsina State, told the court that a late associate, Dr. Farouk Bello, acted as the primary agent in the transactions leading to the purchases. He noted that before his passing, Dr. Farouk Bello had returned the title documents—specifically the Deed of Assignment and Power of Attorney—to Efab Estate. Bala further explained that he only realized the property was under investigation when someone approached him with the documents following Dr. Farouk’s death, prompting him to return the files to the chairman of Efab Estate.

During cross-examination by defense counsel Paul Daudu (SAN), the witness clarified that he is not from Kogi State and shares no family ties with Yahaya Bello or Ali Bello, a co-accused in related proceedings. Bala stated he had known Ali Bello for about 14 years strictly through cross-border commodity trading, such as buying ginger and grains from northern Nigeria, and knew him to be independently involved in real estate.

The ongoing 16-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accuses Yahaya Bello, Umar Oricha, and Abdulsalami Hudu of criminal breach of trust and diversion of public funds. The court had previously dismissed an application by the former governor challenging its territorial jurisdiction over the case, ruling that the location of the disputed properties within Abuja justified the trial taking place in the FCT High Court.