An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), John Justice, has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja how investigators traced funds originating from local government areas in Kogi State through three companies to Keyless Nature Limited, which he said was linked to Abba Adaudu.
The witness also told the court that CCTV footage obtained from banks during the investigation reportedly showed that cash withdrawals recorded in transaction documents did not correspond with customers physically taking cash out of the banks.
Justice, who testified as the 20th prosecution witness (PW20) in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, gave the account before Justice M. E. Anenih.
Bello and two other defendants are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving ₦110.4 billion. The charges remain allegations to be determined by the court.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), Justice said he had served with the EFCC for approximately nine years and participated in the investigation as a member of the commission’s Procurement Fraud Section.
He told the court that he underwent 14 months of training at the Nigerian Defence Academy and the EFCC Academy, covering asset tracing, procurement, money laundering and advance-fee fraud.
According to the witness, the investigation began after the commission received intelligence concerning financial activities involving local government areas in Kogi State.
He identified three companies mentioned in the intelligence as Hayza Business Enterprise, Vifaz Business Enterprise and Fazab Business Enterprise.
Justice said subsequent Bank Verification Number (BVN) searches identified Yakubu Adebenege Isia and Iyadi Sadat as individuals associated with the companies.
He explained that Keyless Nature Limited was not initially part of the investigation but came under scrutiny after investigators obtained transaction records from financial institutions, including Access Bank and Zenith Bank.
According to him, an instrument examined during the investigation revealed that Keyless Nature Limited had received transfers from the three companies.
The witness identified Exhibits AT and AU as statements of account belonging to Keyless Nature Limited, Exhibit AP as the statement of account of Fazab Business Enterprise, and Exhibit AO as the statement of account of Hayma Business Enterprise.
He told the court that an analysis of the account statements showed that most of the funds entering the companies originated from local government areas in Kogi State.
Justice further testified that a BVN search conducted on Keyless Nature Limited returned the name Abba Adaudu.
He said investigators subsequently examined transactions recorded as cash withdrawals and sought CCTV footage from the banks because of the volume of the transactions.
According to the witness, the footage reportedly showed that customers were not physically carrying cash out of the banking premises, despite the transactions being recorded as withdrawals.
He described the transactions as “in-and-out” operations, explaining that they involved a customer presenting a withdrawal cheque alongside a deposit slip bearing a different account number.
The testimony formed part of the prosecution’s effort to establish the movement of funds under investigation and the relationships among the companies identified in the transactions.
During the proceedings, defence counsel J. B. Daudu (SAN), who represented Bello and the second defendant, Umar Shuaibu Oricha, also tendered four documents during the cross-examination of another prosecution witness. Counsel to the third defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu, was also present.
The documents included certified records of proceedings in two separate criminal cases and an extra-judicial statement made to the EFCC by Jamilu Abdullahi on May 10, 2022.
Pinheiro informed the court that the prosecution had no objection to their admission. Justice Anenih subsequently admitted the documents and marked them as Exhibits AZ(1), AZ(2), AZ(3) and AZ(4).
The witness identified Exhibit AZ(3) as the statement he made to the EFCC in 2022 and Exhibit AZ(2) as the record of proceedings in which he had previously been cross-examined by defence counsel.
He confirmed that he instructed Aleshua Solutions Limited, Forza Oil and Gas, and Whales Oil and Gas to transfer funds and facilitate the payment of school fees to the American International School.
The witness maintained that he dealt exclusively with Adaudu and had no dealings with any of Adaudu’s friends.
When confronted with his testimony in earlier proceedings, in which he had mentioned a friend of Adaudu, he explained that he had stated that the driver remained in the car while Adaudu went upstairs to his office.
He reiterated that he had no transactions or dealings with anyone other than Adaudu.
Justice also told the court that he had never met the third defendant, Hudu, and had no transactions with him.
Following the conclusion of cross-examination, and with no re-examination by the prosecution, the witness was discharged.
Pinheiro subsequently applied for the next prosecution witness to be called as the trial continued.
Justice Anenih adjourned the case until November 24, December 2 and December 8, 2026, for further proceedings.
