Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday heard a detailed account of how a bureau de change operator allegedly received staggering naira deposits from an associate of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and converted them into United States dollars. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Bello on 19 counts of money laundering involving ₦80,246,470,088.88 (approximately ₦80.2 billion), which the anti‑graft agency claims were siphoned from the accounts of the Kogi State Government and its local governments during Bello’s tenure from 2016 to 2024. Bello has pleaded not guilty.
Jamilu Abdullahi, the operator of Kumfayakum Global Limited and the 12th prosecution witness (PW12), told Justice Emeka Nwite that a stream of large cash transactions flowed into accounts linked to him between 2021 and 2022. Led by EFCC counsel Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), Abdullahi identified Abba Adaudu as the person with whom he dealt directly. “Abba Adaudu, my lord. In all these transactions, I dealt with Abba Adaudu,” the witness said.
According to Abdullahi, Adaudu made several cash deposits into the account of E‑Traders International Limited on various dates. He confirmed cash inflows on March 10 and 11, 2022, as contained in Exhibit 33(6), but pointed out discrepancies in the names on the deposit records. “The names indicated in the cash deposits — Abdullahi Jamilu, Jamil Abdullahi and Jamilu Abdullahi — were used as narration. However, I was not the one who made the cash deposits at the Lokoja branch,” he clarified. He identified Adaudu as the depositor in transactions dated October 8 and 11, 2021.
Abdullahi then detailed the conversion process. He testified that his company received direct transfers from firms allegedly linked to Adaudu, all of which were meant to be converted into dollars. On December 15 and 17, 2021, Kunfayakun Global Limited received ₦100 million and ₦400 million from Keyless Nature Limited, which Abdullahi said belonged to Adaudu. “The transfers were for dollar purchase. Upon receipt, we agreed on the rate, I converted the funds and handed the dollars over to Abba Adaudu,” he stated.
The transactions continued into February 2022. Abdullahi disclosed that on February 18 of that year, he received ₦600 million in six tranches into the account of Ejadams Essence Limited, another entity he linked to Adaudu. He also confirmed receiving an additional ₦325 million on February 21, 2022, via RTGS (real-time gross settlement), also for dollar conversion. When asked where the dollars were physically transferred, the witness said the handover took place either at his office or at Adaudu’s office in Area 8, Abuja. “What I can recall is that he always comes to my office to pick up the dollars, my lord,” he said.
The proceedings were briefly stalled when defence counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN) objected to the prosecution’s approach. Daudu argued that the EFCC was trying to contradict its own witness without first asking the court to declare him hostile. “If the witness intends to contradict himself, he should be declared a hostile witness,” he submitted. Pinheiro countered that the witness had been consistent and that any minor variations were due to the natural passage of time.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case to Friday, April 24, 2026, for a ruling on the objection. He will also decide whether the prosecution may re‑present Exhibit 46, the witness’s earlier statement to the EFCC, which the defence argued should not be used without a formal declaration of hostility.
The EFCC had earlier told the court that the funds in question were diverted through multiple accounts and entities, including companies linked to Bello’s proxies. This latest testimony builds on earlier evidence from other witnesses, including bank compliance officers who traced suspicious transfers and cash withdrawals from Kogi State government accounts. Abdulai had already testified that at least ₦1.6 billion was funnelled to BDC operators via three separate companies linked to Adaudu.
Bello, who governed Kogi State for two terms from 2016 to 2024, was not physically present in court on Thursday. His absence was not explained. The trial has experienced several delays, including an earlier adjournment in November 2025 when the seventh prosecution witness finished his testimony. Bello was granted permission in January 2026 to travel to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj, though his passport was returned to the court afterward.
The case is one of the largest money laundering trials currently before a Nigerian court. The EFCC has accused Bello of using the proceeds of state funds to acquire properties in high‑end areas of Abuja and even a house in Dubai. Thursday’s testimony from the BDC operator directly linked his business to Adaudu, who the prosecution has described in open court as a “key associate” of the former governor. The court is now awaiting the judge’s ruling on the evidenciary dispute; if the objection is overruled, the witness will likely face further questioning about the cash‑to‑dollar pipeline that prosecutors say helped conceal the origin of the money.
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