Yahaya Bello Trial Adjourned After Witness Testifies

The trial of Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi State, has been adjourned to October 14, 15, 27, and 28, 2026, following testimony from a witness regarding payments to Kogi officials. The witness, identified as the eighteenth prosecuting witness (PW18), disclosed in the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, that a consulting company earned 50-60% commissions from the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KSIRS) for tax collection services.

The company was entitled to a 15% commission on tax collections exceeding N350 million, which was later reduced to 5%. The witness confirmed that payments were made through bank transfers and cash transactions, and identified several individuals involved in the payment process.

During cross-examination, the defense lawyer questioned the performance of the consulting company, to which the witness maintained that the contract was satisfactorily executed. Justice Maryann Anineh presided over the case, which involves 16 counts of criminal breach of trust and money laundering totaling N110.4 billion.