A prosecution witness on Friday told the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, how a property located at No. 35 Danube Street, Maitama, was allegedly purchased for the dollar equivalent of ₦950 million. The witness, Ramalan Abdullahi, a legal practitioner with the FCDA, testified in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu over an alleged ₦110.4 billion fraud case involving criminal breach of trust and money laundering charges. Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the witness told the court that he was contacted in January 2022 by a friend who asked him to conduct due diligence on the Maitama property.
According to Abdullahi, the transaction was allegedly handled through Ali Bello and Shehu Bello, while the payment for the property was made in U.S. dollars valued at about ₦950 million. He further told the court that he prepared the deed of assignment and other title documents in the name of White Tree Nigeria Limited, allegedly based on instructions from Ali Bello. During cross-examination, the witness confirmed he received instructions from Shehu Bello and stated that he never met the third defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu. The proceedings later shifted to legal arguments as counsel to the third defendant challenged the jurisdiction of the court and sought to strike out the trial.
The prosecution opposed the application, arguing that the charges before the FCT High Court are different from those pending before the Federal High Court. Justice Maryanne Anineh subsequently adjourned the matter till May 22, 2026, for ruling on the pending applications, while trial is expected to continue on June 16 and 17, 2026.
