The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, will on March 9 rule on the admissibility of two crucial property documents tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello.
Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date after listening to detailed arguments from both prosecution and defence counsel over whether a Deed of Assignment and an Irrevocable Power of Attorney can be admitted as evidence.
The documents relate to the alleged sale of Plot 1160, Cadastral Zone, Gwarimpa II, Abuja, for N100 million — a transaction the prosecution links to the money laundering charges against the former governor.
Bello is facing a 19-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering involving N80.2 billion.
Prosecution’s Evidence
The EFCC sought to tender the documents through PW10, Mahmoud Abdulaziz, Chief Accountant of Dantata & Sawoe Construction Limited.
In his testimony, Abdulaziz told the court that the company sold the 8,240.72-square-metre property to Azba Real Estate Limited for N100 million.
He said the payment was made in three instalments — N70 million on February 17, N10 million on February 19, and N20 million on February 22, 2021 — through electronic transfers into the company’s Keystone Bank account.
He further stated that the Deed of Assignment was executed between Dantata & Sawoe Construction Limited and Azba Real Estate Limited, and signed by Mubarak Dantata, Nasiru Dantata and Ali Bello.
An Irrevocable Power of Attorney, he added, was executed between Mubarak Dantata and Ali Bello. Both documents were later submitted to the EFCC during its investigation.
Defence counsel objected to the admissibility of the documents, arguing that they are registrable land instruments affecting title and must be registered before being admitted in court.
“My lord, these are registrable land instruments. Only Certified True Copies from the appropriate land registry are admissible,” the defence submitted.
Counsel also argued that the EFCC is not the lawful custodian of land documents and that its certification of the documents contravenes Section 114 of the Evidence Act.
The prosecution dismissed the objection as a misunderstanding of the law, maintaining that the documents are not being tendered to establish ownership of land but to support oral evidence regarding financial transactions.
“This is a criminal trial for money laundering, not a civil dispute over land ownership. The documents are being tendered to anchor the oral evidence already before the court,” prosecution counsel argued.
He added that a document inadmissible for one purpose may be admissible for another and contended that once a private document is submitted to a public officer during investigation, it becomes a public document capable of certification. He cited Audu v. FRN (2025) 5 NWLR (Pt. 1984) 61 in support.
The defence maintained that the purpose for tendering the documents had not been clearly defined and argued that even if admitted as receipts, they must contain a valid consideration clause.
The prosecution insisted the Deed of Assignment clearly reflects consideration and urged the court to admit both documents.
Earlier, the defence informed the court of a pending application seeking to vacate an earlier order allowing Bello to travel for the lesser Hajj, noting that discussions were ongoing.
The prosecution confirmed the discussions and indicated it would address issues concerning an alleged Red Notice, adding that some airports in parts of the Middle East were currently closed.
Under cross-examination, PW8, an official of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), confirmed inflows of N100 million, N400 million (via RTGS) and N600 million into the account of Kunfayakun Global Limited between 2018 and 2024, but said he could not determine the purpose of the transactions.
PW9, a compliance officer with Polaris Bank, also identified multiple inflows into accounts operated by JIT Limited and SSP Foods Limited in November 2021 amounting to hundreds of millions of naira, but stated she had no knowledge of the underlying business relationships.
With arguments concluded, Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to March 9, 2026, for ruling on the admissibility of the disputed documents and continuation of trial — a decision that could significantly shape the direction of the high-profile case.
Court to Decide on Key Property Documents in Yahaya Bello Trial
