N1.16bn in Eight Months: Court Hears How Kogi Tax Consultant Cashed Out Huge Commission
In high-profile corruption trials, money trails often speak louder than speeches, and on Friday, the trail grew even more striking.
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness told the FCT High Court in Abuja that the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue (KSIRS) paid a tax consultant N1,164,929,569 in commission within just eight months in 2019.
Testifying before Justice Maryann Anenih during the trial of former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello and two others, Sterling Bank compliance officer Mr David Ajoda said the payments were made between January and August 2019 after KSIRS engaged the consultant.
Ajoda revealed that N952.4 million was subsequently withdrawn from the consultant’s Sterling Bank account within the same period, leaving a balance of N212,525,569.
The withdrawals, he said, were carried out by one Phillip Unar and followed a consistent pattern.
Tendering the account statements in evidence, the witness told the court that before the consultancy contract, the account held just over N2 million, but experienced a sharp surge in inflows once the deal commenced.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Joseph Daudu (SAN), Ajoda admitted that neither “Kogi State Government” nor Yahaya Bello’s name appeared in the transactions, and that all withdrawals complied with CBN limits, meaning no suspicious activity report was filed by the bank.
He also clarified that KSIRS is legally distinct from the Kogi State Government, a point the defence has repeatedly emphasised.
Justice Anenih has adjourned further hearing to 10 February 2026.
Follow the Savinews Africa channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawgaEL5vKA9Y5XTFg0n
