An Abuja Federal High Court has admitted a previous judgment and payment receipt as evidence in the ongoing ₦110.4 billion fraud trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello. The evidence, presented by the EFCC, reportedly links Bello to a $569,000 school fee payment for four children at the American International School, Abuja. Defence counsel did not object to the admissibility of the documents, as the court continues to hear the case.
A Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday admitted a previous court judgment as evidence in the ongoing trial of the former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, over an alleged ₦110.4 billion fraud.
Justice Maryanne Anineh admitted the Certified True Copy of the judgment alongside a payment receipt during proceedings on May 5, 2026, marking them as Exhibits AY and AY2, respectively.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Bello alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
At the resumed hearing, prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), told the court he was concluding the examination-in-chief of the 14th prosecution witness, Nicholas Okehone, an internal auditor at the American International School, Abuja.
“On the last adjourned date, I was examining PW14, and I was about rounding up. The witness is here; I can finish so that we can take cross-examination,” Pinheiro said.
He also urged the court to defer pending applications, including one challenging jurisdiction, to allow the trial to proceed without interruption.
During his testimony, Okehone confirmed knowledge of a suit filed by Ali Bello against the American International School and the judgment delivered in the matter.
The prosecution then tendered the Certified True Copy of the judgment in Suit No. FCT/ST/CB/6574/2023, along with a payment receipt.
Counsel to the defendants, J.B. Daudu (SAN) and Z.E. Abbas, did not object to the admissibility of the documents, which the court subsequently admitted into evidence.
Led in evidence, the witness stated that Ali Bello was the claimant in the suit and identified him as the father of a prospective student, Zayyan Ali Bello.
However, he clarified that Ali Bello was not the father of the four other children referenced in the documents.
“From our record, Yahaya Adoza Bello is the father of the four children,” the witness said.
Reading from the admitted judgment, Okehone disclosed that arrangements had been made for the payment of the children’s school fees up to graduation through an upfront payment plan.
He further told the court that “the sum of $569,864.12 was paid into the account of the school domiciled in TD Bank,” adding that receipts were issued for the transactions and that the amount formed part of the total payment made.
Under cross-examination, Daudu confirmed from the witness that the American International School is located in the Durumi District of Abuja and that Okehone had served as an internal auditor at the institution for about eight to nine years.
The witness also stated that his role did not involve direct interaction with students and confirmed he did not represent the school in the suit whose judgment was tendered in evidence.
Following cross-examination by both defence teams and with no re-examination, the witness was discharged.
Thereafter, the prosecution moved an application dated October 7, 2025, seeking to stay or suspend the hearing of the first defendant’s motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
Arguing the application, Pinheiro relied on provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), stressing the need for a speedy and uninterrupted trial.
“My lord, essentially, this application seeks to suspend the hearing of the first defendant’s motion. I urge my lordship to deliver a ruling and judgment on the trial,” he said.
Citing Sections 111, 221, and 396(2) and (3) of the ACJA, he argued that criminal trials should not be stalled by interlocutory objections.
“A community reading of these Sections makes it unambiguous that no criminal trial shall be interrupted by any form of objection,” he added.
