How EFCC Stopped Yahaya Bello’s Ally from Buying N550m Property

Fabian Nwaora, the chairman of EFAB Property Limited, based in Abuja, has disclosed how Shehu Bello, a purported accomplice of former Kogi governor Yahaya Bello, canceled the purchase of a property worth N550 million that he had already paid for after discovering that the former governor was being investigated by the EFCC.

On Wednesday, Nwaora appeared before Federal Capital Territory High Court Judge Maryanne Anenih as the First Prosecution Witness (PW1) in the Yahaya Bello trial, along with Abdulsalami and Umar Shuaibu Oricha.

The witness revealed that the address of the property Shehu Bello purchased was No. 1 Ikogosi Street, Maitama, Abuja.

“We put up a property for sale with a signboard of EFAB Property,” Nwaora stated, leading prosecution attorney Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, in testimony. That was in 2020. When Shehu Bello arrived in my office, he requested the property.

After talking it over, we decided on N550 million. I informed him that I would not be there on the day he stated he would return, and I then presented him to Segun Adeleke, my General Manager (GM).

Both of them traded phone numbers. After a week, I returned, and the general manager informed me that Shehu Bello had bought the property. For me to view on behalf of EFAB, he brought the paperwork.

The deal was signed by Dr. Bello Ohiani, not Shehu Bello. No copy was returned after we signed and gave it to them to sign and return.

Shehu Bello returned all of the documentation I gave him, stated he wanted his money back, and informed me that the property was being investigated by the EFCC after three years. “They know the EFCC will invite us because it was under investigation,” my lawyer remarked when I brought it up to him.

As the property was being investigated, the witness also told the court that the EFCC had invited them to testify and that his firm, EFAB Property Limited, had been instructed by the Commission to transfer the funds it got for the property to the EFCC’s account.

“The EFCC claimed the residence was being investigated after we wrote the statement, and we should return all of the money to the EFCC account. We returned N400 million once they provided us with the account number, and we returned N150 million for the second batch. Although the house was tagged, the EFCC stated we may take possession of it when we gave them the money back, he claimed.

Prosecution counsel presented the sales agreement and deed of assignment on the property to the court, and they were allowed into evidence as Exhibits A1 and A2.

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The defense attorney’s application to obtain the second and third defendants’ extrajudicial statements and to have the case postponed was denied by the court early in the proceedings.

Prosecution counsel objected to the application, telling the court that the defense counsel had been properly served with the statements on November 27, 2024. The court was adjourned until today, January 29 and 30, 2025, to hear the bail issue and not the application for the defendants’ extrajudicial statements.

Last November 27th, the defense was served. My lord postponed the case to today and tomorrow, back to December 19, 2024, due to the bail application difficulty,” he stated.

The defense application was dismissed by the judge, who was convinced by the prosecution’s reasoning and declared that the trial should proceed, characterizing it as an attempt to postpone the court proceedings.

In order to allow for a trial to continue, Justice Anenih ultimately postponed the case until April 3 and 24 and May 6, 2025.

Oricha, Hudu, and Yahaya Bello are on trial for a 16-count indictment that includes money laundering and criminal breach of trust totaling N110.4 billion.