There was a dramatic twist in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, as the key prosecution witness publicly refuted claims by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he was harassed by the defendant’s security aides.
The EFCC’s lead counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), had earlier informed the court that Mshellia Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, was intimidated by security personnel attached to Bello after his testimony on June 26.
However, during Friday’s proceedings before Justice Emeka Nwite, Bata shocked the courtroom by requesting to clear the air on the matter.
“My Lord, I was not harassed by any of the security details attached to the defendant,” he declared. “I felt the need to clarify this. I did not lodge any complaints with anyone.”
The unexpected rebuttal came moments before Bello’s lawyer, J.B. Daudu (SAN), raised a separate concern — drawing the court’s attention to a story published on the EFCC’s official website alleging that its witness was harassed and intimidated. He accused the commission of misrepresenting facts from the previous day’s hearing.
Pinheiro, in response, promised to alert the EFCC to the misinformation.
Justice Nwite commended the witness’s integrity while urging all parties to maintain professional conduct. Daudu also applauded Bata’s honesty, stating,
“This is the kind of witness the court deserves — someone who stands by the truth regardless of pressure.”
During cross-examination, Bata further distanced Bello from the financial transactions central to the alleged ₦80.2 billion fraud case.
“From the documents before me, there is no indication that His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, was a signatory or beneficiary of any transaction,” he said, referring specifically to Exhibit 22A, which covered over 400 pages of banking records linked to the Kogi Government House Administration.
He also identified the official signatories on the government accounts — including the Permanent Secretary, Chief Accountant, and Accountant — and explained how replacements were documented via internal letters.
Pinheiro objected to some lines of questioning, arguing that the witness was not a legal expert and should not be asked to interpret beneficiary roles. However, Justice Nwite overruled, noting that the witness, as a compliance officer, had the expertise to address what was in the documents.
Meanwhile, Daudu also requested the release of Yahaya Bello’s international passport, citing urgent medical needs in the United Kingdom. He noted that the application aligned with bail conditions but had been countered by the EFCC, which filed a counter-affidavit, describing the move as an abuse of court process.
Pinheiro argued that a similar application was before the FCT High Court and that this parallel filing was improper. Daudu pushed back, asserting the EFCC was the one abusing court process.
“He has not travelled in eight years. Now he has urgent health concerns to attend to during the court vacation,” Daudu pleaded.
Justice Nwite adjourned the case to July 3 and 4 for continuation of trial, and to July 21 for ruling on the application to travel.