By Paul Joseph
Justice Maryanne Anineh of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday admitted a previous High Court judgment into evidence in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello.
Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to ₦110.4 billion.
At the resumed proceedings, prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court he was concluding the examination-in-chief of the 14th prosecution witness (PW14), Nicholas Okehone, an internal auditor at the American International School, Abuja.
Pinheiro requested that pending applications, including one challenging the court’s jurisdiction, be deferred to allow the trial to proceed without delay.
During testimony, Okehone confirmed his awareness of a suit filed by Ali Bello against the American International School and the judgment delivered in the case. The prosecution then tendered a Certified True Copy of the judgment in Suit No. FCT/ST/CB/6574/2023, along with a payment receipt.
Defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, and Z.E. Abbas, raised no objection, following which Justice Anineh admitted the documents as Exhibits AY and AY2.
The witness, while being led in evidence, identified Ali Bello as the claimant in the suit and father of a prospective student, Zayyan Ali Bello, but clarified that he was not the father of four other children referenced in the documents. According to him, records indicated that Yahaya Bello is the father of the four children.
Reading from the admitted judgment, Okehone disclosed that arrangements had been made for the upfront payment of the children’s school fees up to graduation. He stated that a total sum of $569,864.12 was paid into the school’s account domiciled with TD Bank, with receipts issued for the transactions.
Under cross-examination, the witness confirmed that the American International School is located in the Durumi District of Abuja and that he had served as an internal auditor for approximately eight to nine years. He added that his role did not involve direct interaction with students and that he did not represent the school in the suit referenced in the judgment.
Following cross-examination and with no re-examination, the witness was discharged.
The prosecution subsequently moved an application dated October 7, 2025, seeking to suspend the hearing of the first defendant’s motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction.
Arguing the application, Pinheiro cited provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), stressing the need for uninterrupted criminal proceedings. He maintained that objections raised after arraignment should be addressed during final arguments rather than halting the trial.
He argued that interlocutory applications and injunctions should not disrupt criminal trials, noting that the case, which began in 2014, had reached an advanced stage with multiple witnesses already heard.
In response, defence counsel Daudu, SAN, opposed the application, relying on the case of Shema vs FRN (2019) to support the defence’s position that the challenge to jurisdiction was valid.
Pinheiro, however, dismissed the relevance of the cited authority, arguing that it did not address key provisions of the ACJA and had been overtaken by more recent appellate decisions.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Anineh adjourned the case until May 8, 2026, for ruling on the application and continuation of trial.
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