The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until May 8 to rule on the admissibility of a judgment by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in a case involving Ali Bello and the Incorporated Trustees of the American International School, Abuja. The case is part of the ongoing trial of the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, who is facing a fraud charge of N80.2 billion brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trial resumed after the EFCC’s third prosecution witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, an auditor with the American International School, testified that Ali Bello offered to pay the school fees of Yahaya Bello’s children until their graduation. Ojehomon stated that Bello made payments for four of his children enrolled in various grades and also paid future school fees for children who were not yet enrolled.
During the trial, the defense counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), sought to tender documents related to the payment of school fees and receipts for the recertification of those documents. However, EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), objected, arguing that the prosecution had not yet closed its case and that the document did not comply with Section 232 of the Evidence Act. Daudu countered, asserting that once documents were deemed relevant to the proceedings, they should be admissible according to the Evidence Act.
Ojehomon also confirmed several payments made on behalf of Yahaya Bello’s children, including amounts from different company accounts like Forza Oil and Gas, Whales Oil and Gas, Aleshua Solution Services, Uliati General Training LLC, and Dada Rand Merchant Limited, based in Uganda. The payments were specifically made for the children’s school fees.
The judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, adjourned the case to May 8 and 9, 2025, for a ruling on the admissibility of the FCT High Court judgment concerning the school fees payments.