Court Rejects EFCC’s Bid to Cross-Examine Witness in Yahaya Bello’s Fraud Case

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja rejected a request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on June 26 to cross-examine a key witness, Fabian Nwora, in the N110.4 billion fraud case against former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and co-defendants Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu. 

Justice Maryanne Anenih ruled that the EFCC failed to provide sufficient grounds for revisiting Nwora’s testimony, given on June 25, which stated Bello and his co-defendants made no payments for a N550 million property in Maitama.

Nwora, chairman of Efab Property Nigeria Limited, testified that Shehu Bello, not the defendants, negotiated the property deal in 2020, with no financial transactions linked to Bello, Oricha, or Hudu. The EFCC, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, sought to challenge inconsistencies in Nwora’s statement, but Bello’s counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, argued it would prejudice the defense. The court upheld the objection, adjourning the trial to October 8, 9, November 12, and 13, 2025.

The EFCC alleges Bello laundered N80.2 billion in 2016 and concealed N3.08 billion through E-Traders International Limited between 2021 and 2022. Bello, arrested on November 26, 2024, after evading capture, faces separate charges linked to his nephew, Ali Bello, for laundering N3 billion. The case, costing Nigeria $500 million in legal expenses since 2023, underscores the fight against corruption, which drains 3% of GDP annually.