Crime
How N46.5m Was Transferred To American International School: Witness In Alleged ₦80.2bn Kogi Fraud
How N46.5m Was Transferred To American International School: Witness In Alleged ₦80.2bn Kogi Fraud
How N46.5m was transferred to American International School: Witness in alleged ₦80.2bn Kogi fraud. The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello, continued on Thursday, February 5, 2026, before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with the Eight Prosecution Witness, PW8, Gabriel Ochoche, testifying how the sum of N46,505,000( Forty Six Million, Five Hundred and Five Thousand Naira) was transferred into the account of American International School
Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of ₦80,246,470,088.88.
The prosecution called Prosecution Witness 8 (PW8), Gabriel Ochoche, a compliance officer with First City Monument Bank (FCMB), who testified pursuant to a subpoena.
Led in evidence by Olukayode Enitan, SAN, the subpoena was tendered without objection from the defence and was admitted by the court as Exhibit 36.
PW8 told the court that among several payments there were payments to educational institutions, including a ₦30 million transfer on November 1, 2021, to American International School / Abdul Bashir, as well as another transfer of ₦16,505,400 to American International School.
PW8 also confirmed that he was in court with the statement of account, certificate of compliance and account opening documents of Kunfayakun Global Limited, Account No: 7819613011, covering transactions from June 1, 2021, to August 31, 2022. The documents were admitted in evidence as Exhibit 37 without objection.
When asked to confirm the period covered, the witness stated: “The period covered is from June 29, 2021, to December 31, 2024.”
Explaining the structure of the statement of account, PW8 said it contains seven columns, namely: date, reference, description, value date, deposit, withdrawal and balance.
Reading from Exhibit 37, PW8 identified several major transactions, including an NIP transfer of ₦700 million from Keyless Nature Limited on December 15, 2021, and an RTGS inflow of ₦400 million on December 17, 2021, from Access Bank, by order of the same company. He explained that RTGS is a transfer carried out by one bank on behalf of a customer.
On November 2, 2021, PW8 confirmed multiple inflows from Gadonkaya Global Concept into Kunfayakun’s account—₦10 million, ₦10 million and ₦8.96 million—alongside another outflow of ₦34,506,600 to American School and China Payment / Abdul Bashir.
PW8 also told the court that on February 18, 2022, there were six separate NIP transfers of ₦100 million each from Ejadams Essence Limited, totaling ₦600 million.
Asked to confirm the total inflow, the witness said: “Yes, my lord, I confirm that ₦600 million was received from Ejadams Essence Limited.”
He further identified an RTGS inflow of ₦325 million on February 21, 2022, with a value date of February 18, 2022, from Access Bank, by order of Ejadams.
Earlier in the proceedings, Prosecution Witness 7 (PW7), Olomotane Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, continued his testimony under cross-examination.
Defence counsel drew his attention to Exhibit 33(8), particularly an entry of June 22, 2022, which the witness confirmed was an outflow of ₦20 million for the supply of educational materials. When asked if it was a cash withdrawal, Egoro replied:
“No, my lord.”
He also confirmed that he could not identify the beneficiary from the document.
Egoro acknowledged multiple cash withdrawals made by Yakubu Siyaka between January 9, 2019, and December 30, 2022, totaling over ₦552 million.
Explaining the bank’s obligations, he said: “The customer can use his money as he likes; however, the bank has a reporting obligation where transactions do not fit the customer’s profile or fall under money laundering typologies.”
Fraud
He further confirmed that Access Bank filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) to the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), but stated that by law, its contents could not be disclosed in court.
When defence counsel J.B Daudu SAN attempted to question the witness on the contents of the STR, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, objected, arguing that questioning a document not before the court contravened the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Justice Nwite upheld the objection, ruling that: “Counsel cannot ask questions on the contents of a document not before the court.”
Following the rectification of payment receipts, the Certified True Copy (CTC) of proceedings from Justice Obiora Egwuatu’s court dated May 12, 2025, was admitted in evidence as Exhibit 35(D2) without objection.
Additional documents admitted included: Exhibit 34(1): Kogi State Government House account opening package, exhibit 34(2): Kogi State Government House Administration account and exhibit 33(6): E-Traders International Limited account opening package and statement of account.
PW7 confirmed signatories, transaction patterns and Access Bank’s compliance oversight across its branches.
With no re-examination by the prosecution, Justice Nwite discharged PW7 from the witness box and adjourned the matter to March 3 and March 9, 2026, for continuation of trial.
Court Jails Man for $19,400 Bitcoin Fraud In Edo
Bitcoin fraud. The Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction and sentence of Osamudiamen Philip Ikilo for fraud.
The convict was arraigned on one -count charge of stealing before Justice W.I. Aziegbemhin of the Edo State High Court sitting in Benin City.
Upon arraignment the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge, setting the stage for trial.
The charge reads: That you Osamudiamen Philip Ikilo (m) sometime in March 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did steal Bitcoin worth the sum of $19,400 (Nineteen thousand, four Hundred United States Dollars) belonging to one Cynthia Imade Alile by fraudulently converting the said sum to your own use, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Edo State Law 2022 and punishable under Section 294 of the same Law.
Bitcoin
In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel, A. S. Bala-Ribah called two witnesses and also tendered documents which were admitted by the court. On his part, the defendant called two witnesses including himself.
Delivering judgment on Monday, March 23, 2026 Justice Aziegbemhin found the defendant guilty of the charge and sentenced him to two years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Ikilo’s road to jail began when he offered to assist the petitioner convert her 0.52092582 Bitcoin worth $19,400 but failed to remit the money to the petitioner as he converted same to his personal use.
Court Admits More Evidence Against Mamman In Alleged N31b Fraud
Court Admits more Evidence against Mamman. Justice Maryann Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, admitted more documents in evidence against the former Minister for Power, Saleh Mamman in his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC for alleged fraud.
Mamman and seven others are being prosecuted by the EFCC on a nine-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence and intent to defraud to the tune of N31,070,541,349.64 (Thirty-one Billion, Seventy Million, Five Hundred and Forty-one Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty-nine Naira, Sixty-four Kobo).
At Wednesday’s proceedings, the Second Prosecution Witness, PW2, Leadu Kpandei, a female compliance officer with Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, A.O. Mohammed, disclosed that the EFCC, sometime in March 2025, requested the details of account of one of its customers, Fullest Utility Concept Ltd to which the bank responded via a letter attached with the account opening documents, certificate of identification and statement of accounts of the said company, distilled from the bank’s database. She confirmed that she and her colleague signed the documents on behalf of the bank before they were transmitted to the EFCC.
The documents, marked exhibit E1, E2, E3, E4 were tendered and admitted in evidence by the court.
Court
Earlier in the proceedings, the First Prosecution Witness PW1, Umar Abba, a compliance officer of Zenith Bank, concluded his cross-examination, where he revealed he generated the account statements of the defendants also from the bank’s database, endorsed and sent to the EFCC. “I generated the documents of the account statements from the bank’s computer, compared them with what I have, then I signed before sending them to the EFCC” he said.
Suleiman Mohammed, counsel to Mamman drew the attention of the court to a pending application on motion on notice, filed on March 9, 2026 and the judge promised to go through it.
Justice Anineh adjourned the matter till April 16, May 11 and June 4, 2026 for continuation of trial.
Ex-Convict Bags Three Years Imprisonment In Lagos Over N12m Theft
Ex-convict. Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, convicted and sentenced an ex-convict, Oluokun Gabriel Adekola, to three years’ imprisonment for theft involving N12 million.
Adekola was arraigned on March 16, 2026, by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikoyi, on a one-count amended charge bordering on stealing.
The charge stated that the defendant, alongside others still at large, in 2025 in Lagos, collaborated to conceal and disguise the origin of N12,000,000 paid into his account.
The funds were allegedly part of a larger sum of N3,091,441,849 fraudulently obtained from accounts domiciled with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) through unauthorized access and mobile banking fraud. The money was said to have been withdrawn and converted to cash through Point of Sale (POS) agents.
Upon arraignment, Adekola pleaded guilty to the charge.
Further proceedings revealed that the defendant had a prior conviction. On July 23, 2020, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State, had sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment for defrauding a Taiwanese of $22,300.
Prior to his sentence, prosecution counsel, E. S. Okongwu, tendered a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the July 23, 2020 judgment as evidence, with suit no. FHC/IB/32c/2018 which the court admitted as Exhibit 1. The prosecution also sought restitution of N3.5 million to the nominal complainant.
Ex-Convict
In his allocutus, defence counsel, Fabian Nwaforji, pleaded for leniency, stating that the convict was remorseful and had already spent four years and six months in prison, urging the court to temper justice with mercy.
Delivering judgment, Justice Oshodi noted that the offence constituted money laundering and emphasized the defendant’s status as a repeat offender.
He, however, acknowledged the defendant’s early guilty plea and willingness to make restitution.
Consequently, the court sentenced Adekola to three years’ imprisonment and ordered him to restitute N3.5 million to FCMB within three months.
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