- EFCC Presents Evidence of Dollar Payments to American International School
- School Agrees to Refund Fees to CBN, Witness Testifies
An internal auditor at the American International School, Abuja, has testified in court that former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, paid his children’s school fees in advance, amounting to $760,000, before leaving office.
The witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday that Bello’s payment covered the tuition of four of his children—Zayan Bello, Zara Bello, Farid Bello, Na’ima Bello, and Nana Fatima Bello—until their graduation.
Ojehomon disclosed that he did not personally know the former governor at the time but was aware that he was a parent at the school. He detailed the individual payments made for the children, with Farid Bello’s tuition amounting to $90,074, Zara Bello’s at $87,470, Na’ima Bello’s at $26,241, and Nana Bello’s at $18,707.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Bello, alleging financial misconduct, including the controversial school fee payments. The prosecution presented several documents as evidence, including:
- Email correspondences between Ali Bello, Yahaya Bello’s cousin, and the school
- Statements of account from TD Bank USA and the American International School
- Certified copies of the school’s admission letters for Bello’s children
- A contractual agreement for prepaid tuition
- Teller copies of payments
According to the witness, Ali Bello had contacted the school on August 13, 2021, requesting to pay the school fees in advance, which the school management accepted.
Following EFCC’s investigation, the American International School has offered to refund the money and has requested a valid Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account for the transaction.
The case continues as the court examines the financial trail and the legality of the payments.
