A Bureau de Change operator on Thursday narrated before a federal high court in Abuja how billions of naira in cash deposits were converted into United States dollars and handed over to a close associate of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, in ongoing proceedings arising from an alleged ₦80.2 billion money laundering charge.
The witness, Jamilu Abdullahi, testifying as the 12th prosecution witness in the trial before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, told the court that several cash deposits were made on different dates into the account of E-Traders International Limited by one Abba Adaudu.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel Kemi Pinheiro SAN, Abdullahi confirmed cash inflows on March 10 and 11, 2022, as contained in Exhibit 33(6), while clarifying discrepancies in the names of depositors appearing on the transaction records.
“The names indicated in the cash deposits — Abdullahi Jamilu, Jamil Abdullahi, and Jamilu Abdullahi — were used as narration. However, I was not the one who made the cash deposits at the Lokoja branch,” he told the court.
The witness identified Adaudu as the depositor in transactions dated October 8 and 11, 2021, and disclosed that upon receiving the cash lodgments, he converted the naira sums into dollars and handed them over to Adaudu directly.
Examining Exhibit 37, relating to his company, Kunfayakun Global Limited, Abdullahi confirmed receiving ₦100 million and ₦400 million on December 15 and 17, 2021 respectively, from a firm identified as Keyless Nature Limited, which he said belonged to Adaudu, adding that both transfers were for dollar purchases.
“We agreed on the rate, I converted the funds and handed the dollars over to Abba Adaudu,” he said.
The witness further testified that on February 18, 2022, he received ₦600 million in six tranches into the account of Ejadams Essence Limited, also allegedly linked to Adaudu, for the same purpose, and confirmed an additional ₦325 million received on February 21, 2022 via RTGS. He said the physical handover of the dollars took place either at his office or at Adaudu’s office in Area 8, Abuja.
Proceedings were briefly stalled after defence counsel J. B. Daudu SAN objected, arguing that the prosecution was attempting to contradict its own witness without first declaring him hostile. Pinheiro countered that the witness had been consistent throughout, and that any apparent discrepancies reflected the natural limits of recalling transactions that occurred nearly five years ago.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to April 24, 2026, for a ruling on the objection and continuation of trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Bello on a money laundering charge totalling ₦80,246,470,088.88.