By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, with a prosecution witness revealing how the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) allegedly paid over ₦1.16 billion as “commission” into a Sterling Bank account belonging to one Philip Kumar within eight months in 2019.
The witness, Prosecution Witness 9 (PW9), David Ajoma, a compliance officer at Sterling Bank, told the court that the payments, which occurred between January and August 2019, were followed by repeated large cash withdrawals, a pattern he described as unusual under normal banking standards.
Bello is facing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge of criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving an alleged ₦110.4 billion.
During proceedings, lead prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, directed PW9 to examine Exhibit AD1, a bank statement earlier admitted in evidence.
The witness confirmed multiple transactions between March and August 2019, totaling ₦963,803,717.38 in inflows from Kogi State treasury, with ₦835,904,000 withdrawn in cash over the same period.
PW9 further highlighted earlier inflows of ₦99,593,761.81 on January 8, 2019, and ₦101,533,384.94 on February 7, 2019, both labeled as coming from KIRS.
When asked to summarize all payments labeled as “commission” between January and August 2019, the witness said: “From the exhibit, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service paid a total of ₦1,164,959,568.13 as commission within eight months.”
He also noted a consistent pattern of cash withdrawals shortly after inflows from Kogi State accounts, adding that the account had minimal activity prior to January 2019.
On cross-examination, defense counsel J.B. Daudu, SAN, questioned PW9 on his knowledge of account signatories, nature of the business, and the identities of other beneficiaries.
The witness admitted he could not confirm who withdrew the funds or the full extent of beneficiaries but maintained that his testimony was strictly based on the bank statement.
Following the testimony, Justice Maryanne Anineh discharged PW9 and adjourned the trial to February 10 and 11, and March 11 and 12, 2026, for continuation of proceedings.
The case continues to attract national attention as one of the largest alleged financial frauds in Kogi State’s history.
