EFCC Tenders More Fresh Bank Records In Yahaya Bello’s ‘N110.4bn Fraud’ Trial

EFCC tenders more fresh bank records in Yahaya Bello’s ‘N110.4bn fraud’ trial. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday tendered fresh bank records in the ongoing trial of Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi state, before a federal high court in Abuja.

Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving about N110.4 billion.

At the resumed hearing before Maryanne Anineh, the presiding judge, the prosecution team, led by Kemi Pinheiro, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), presented prosecution witness six (PW6), Mashelia Arhyel Bata, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, for further cross-examination.

During cross-examination, Joseph Daudu, counsel to the first and second defendants, questioned the witness on exhibit S1—a statement of account earlier tendered by the prosecution.

Daudu asked the witness to clarify his earlier testimony that the statement of account contained eight columns, particularly the meaning of the “description” column. Bata explained that the column reflected the narration of transactions.

He drew the court’s attention to an entry dated January 20, 2016, which reads: “Cq 158 Abdulsalami Hudu for N10,000,000.”

Bata also pointed out another entry stating, “ZB chq 155 paid Halims Hotels and Tours, Lokoja, N2,454,400.”

When asked whether he knew the purpose for which the N10 million paid to Hudu or the sum paid to Halims Hotels and Tours was used, the witness said he could not determine how the funds were spent or their intended purpose.

Daudu further referred the witness to exhibit X1 and asked him to identify it.
Responding, Bata said it was the account-opening package for a company with account number 1014878995, domiciled at Zenith Bank’s Lokoja branch.

The defence counsel then asked the witness about the number of transactions recorded within specific dates.

While Daudu suggested there were 21 transactions between March 10 and March 12, 2016, the witness said the entries he was working with began from November 14, 2016.
Directing the witness to entries dated December 6, 2016, Daudu asked him to read them out.

Bata told the court that the first entry was a transfer from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, credited with N74,378,483.20, adding that another entry on the same day showed a cheque payment of N10 million to Mohammed Jami’u Sallau.

Yahaya Bello

Asked whether the statement indicated the purpose of the payment, the witness said the narration did not indicate the reason for the transaction, adding that the same applied to another N10 million credit in favour of Sallau.

The witness was also cross-examined by Z.B. Abbas, counsel to the third defendant, Abdulsalami Hudu, who asked whether all withdrawals made by the third defendant were by cheque, to which the witness replied in the affirmative, adding that authorised signatories duly signed the cheques.

Abbas also confirmed from the witness that exhibit X1 was the statement of account of the government house account.

On exhibit X2, the witness said the third defendant was introduced to the bank as a civil servant and accountant.

Police Begin Investigation Over Alleged Acid Attack On Teenager In Adamawa

Police begin investigation over alleged acid attack on teenager in Adamawa.The police command in Adamawa says it has commenced an investigation into a case of an alleged acid attack on a teenager, Walid Mohammed, in Yola South LGA.

The police command in Adamawa says it has commenced an investigation into a case of an alleged acid attack on a teenager, Walid Mohammed, in Yola South LGA.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Suleiman Nguroje, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Yola.

He said that the incident occurred on January 14, at Shagari quarters, when the suspect, one Idris Hamza, sprayed a substance suspected to be acid on the victim on his way to the mosque.

“On January 14, 2026, the victim, a 17-year-old, ran to the Shagari Division Headquarters in distress, that while on his way to mosque, he was sprayed with a substance suspected to be acidic by one Idris Hamza, a resident of Shagari, Yola South LGA.

Adamawa

“Following the report, the victim was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he is currently receiving medical treatment, while the alleged suspect was taken into custody,” he said.

Mr Nguroje said that police commissioner Dankombo Morris has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to take over the case and conduct a thorough investigation.

Exchange Commission Partners Police To Tackle Illegal Scheme Operators, Crypto Fraudsters

Exchange Commission partners police to tackle illegal scheme operators, crypto fraudsters. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Nigeria Police Force have forged an alliance against illegal scheme operators, investment frauds, and cryptocurrency frauds in a bid to protect the hard-earned savings and the financial dreams of the Nigerian people.

The director-general of the SEC, Dr Emomotimi Agama, stated this during a meeting with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, held yesterday in Abuja.

Agama said the SEC, as the sentinel at the gate of Nigeria’s formal capital markets, had the mandate to protect investors, maintain fair, efficient, and transparent markets, and promote the growth of a vibrant economy built on trust, which is done by setting rules, licensing operators and market surveillance.

He, however, stated that the Commission faced adversaries who operate in the shadows, outside regulated gates by exploiting the trust of people and promising miraculous returns such as 200 per cent in 30 days.

“Currently, there is a gap, a seam between identification and enforcement that these scammers exploit. Today, we aim to close that gap permanently. Therefore, we propose a robust, institutionalised collaboration with the following pillars: Joint Intelligence and Operations Task Force: Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer; Streamlined Processes for Enforcement and National Public Awareness Campaign,” he stated.

The SEC DG advocated, “the establishment of a dedicated SEC-NPF team that combines market intelligence, forensic accounting, and understanding of complex financial schemes with investigative and intelligence-gathering capabilities. This team will be the rapid-response unit to new frauds.”

Agama also sought the permission of the IGP to go into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Cyber Security Unit of the Police Force in a bid to ensure that cyberspace is safe for all Nigerians

In his response, the IGP Kayode Egbetokun assured the SEC team that the Nigerian police Force is ready to collaborate with the Commission, strengthen partnership in all the ways possible, and ensure that the Commission achieves its aims.

He said, “Your role in the Securities and Exchange Commission is very crucial to the Nigerian Economy, and with our supervision and support from the government, we will ensure economic recovery and growth. If the police unit in SEC is strengthened, it is going to make such an impact on your enforcement drive.

Exchange Commission Partners Police

What you said speaks so much to your determination to ensure effective drive in the Capital market, and when we can achieve effective enforcement, it comes with so many benefits.

Egbetokun also congratulated the Commission on the recent achievement of the N100 trillion market capitalisation mark, adding that it will aid economic growth and development.