In a major legal development, the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday dismissed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s objection and allowed former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to tender a judgment related to the school fees of his children as evidence in his ongoing N80 billion money laundering trial.
Justice Emeka Nwite ruled that the judgment from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, concerning fees paid to the American International School (AIS), was relevant and admissible, despite the EFCC’s insistence that it was part of a civil matter unrelated to the criminal charges.
The EFCC had accused Bello and others of conspiring in February 2016 to convert over N80 billion, allegedly acquired through a criminal breach of trust. Central to the case is the prosecution’s claim that fees paid to AIS for Bello’s children were funded with proceeds of crime.
During the hearing, EFCC’s counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, raised an objection to the admission of the FCT judgment—case number FCT/HC/CV/2574/2023—arguing that it was a civil suit and should not be introduced before the prosecution concluded its case. He stressed the need for procedural order in criminal trials.
However, Bello’s lead counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, countered that the relevance of evidence, not the type of legal proceeding it originated from, should determine its admissibility. He emphasized that the FCT judgment directly addressed the disputed payments and was therefore crucial to the defense.
Justice Nwite agreed, stating: “The objection of the prosecution is indeed preemptive… The argument that the defense cannot present the document is hereby discountenanced.” The court overruled the EFCC’s objection and admitted the document into evidence.
Following the ruling, prosecution witness Nicholas Ohehomon, a staff member of AIS, confirmed that there was no record of direct payments from the Kogi State government to the school in relation to Bello’s children’s tuition.
The case was adjourned to May 9 for further hearing.
This development comes amid broader legal troubles for Bello, who has faced accusations from the EFCC of evading arrest and being shielded by the Kogi State government. In addition to the Federal High Court case, he faces a separate fraud charge at the FCT High Court.
