- School Writes EFCC, Demands Account To Refund $760,910
Fresh documents have revealed how the former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, allegedly paid his children’s school fees at the American International School of Abuja (AISA), with an amount estimated at $845,852.
According to the EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, Bello withdrew the amount from the coffers of the Kogi State Government, and paid the monies in 2021, 2022, and 2023, before leaving office in January 2024.
Receipts of how the amounts were paid, along with the names of the ex-Kogi helmsman’s children led by his eldest child, Ali Bello, were filtered on social media Thursday evening.
Osun Defender gathered that the children are in grade levels 2 to 8 at the school.
The funds, according to reports monitored by Osun Defender, will last until the 2034–2035 academic session.
Osun Defender gathered that the EFCC had written the American International School of Abuja (AISA), to refund the monies to its coffers, after an investigation.
In the latest development, the school has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for Bello’s children.
In a letter addressed to the Lagos zonal commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date.”
AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.
“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.
“Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 (Eight Hundred and Forty Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Two US Dollars and eighty four cents) in tuition and other fees has been deposited into our Bank account.
“We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84. (Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ten US Dollars and Eighty Four cents).
“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”
The school said it will draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there are any further deposits by the Bello family.
In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said,“Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday 13 August 2021 requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from High School”.
The EFCC has since declared Bello wanted, with the NIS placing the ex-governor on a watchlist.
On April 17, EFCC operatives laid a siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.
While the operatives were at the house, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.
He has since then been declared wanted by security agencies.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
