A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello has told a Federal Capital Territory High Court that he paid between 50 and 60 per cent of commissions earned by his company from tax consultancy services to officials of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service.
The witness testified as the 18th prosecution witness before Justice Maryanne Anenih on Wednesday while being led in evidence by EFCC lead counsel Kemi Pinheiro, SAN.
Bello is being prosecuted alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving the sum of N110.4bn.
The witness, whose companies provided information technology, software development, tax automation and advisory services to the KSIRS, stated that his firm was initially entitled to 15 per cent commission on tax collections above N350m.
This was later reduced to five per cent due to increased internally generated revenue and lower operating costs from automation.
He identified former KSIRS Chairman Senator Yakubu Oseni as one of the officials he dealt with, disclosing that payments of between 50 and 60 per cent of the commissions were made to certain stakeholders on the directives of Senator Oseni and his successor, Aliyu Nda Salami, through their personal assistants.
The payments were made via bank transfers and cash, though they were not part of the formal consultancy agreement.
The witness also gave details of various inflows and outflows from company accounts, including payments linked to properties and other entities.
The prosecution subsequently called its 19th witness, a Bureau de Change operator, while continuing the cross-examination of a previous witness.
Justice Anenih adjourned the matter to 14, 15, 27 and 28 October 2026 for continuation of trial.
(The Whistler)
