The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has verified the reimbursement of $760,000, initially paid as advanced school fees by a former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, for his children at the American International School, Abuja.
Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson for the EFCC, affirmed this development to our correspondent in Abuja on Friday, stating, “The school has returned the entire $760,000 to the EFCC’s recovery account.”
Previously, the American International School of Abuja had requested the EFCC to furnish “authenticated banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the former governor’s children. Bello purportedly disbursed $720,000 in advance for the education of five of his children from the state’s treasury. These children are currently enrolled in Grade Levels 2 to 8 at the institution.
On April 17, EFCC operatives attempted to apprehend Bello at his residence in Abuja regarding an alleged N80.2 billion fraud. During this operation, Usman Ododo, the governor of Kogi, reportedly arrived at the premises and escorted Bello away.
In correspondence directed to the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, the school indicated that a total of $845,852 had been paid in tuition fees “from September 7, 2021, to date.” AISA stated that the sum to be refunded amounts to $760,910, after deducting fees for educational services already provided.
The school emphasized the need for an official written request, inclusive of the EFCC’s verified banking details, for the refund of the aforementioned funds, as part of the agency’s investigation into alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family.
Furthermore, the school declared, “Since September 7, 2021, to date, $845,852.84 in tuition and other fees have 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. No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition, as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”
AISA warned of alerting the anti-graft agency to any further deposits by the Bello family. In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA disclosed, “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday, August 13, 2021, requesting to prepay the family’s school fees until the students graduate from High School.”
The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, previously disclosed that the former governor transferred $720,000 from the government’s coffers to a bureau de change before concluding his term, to prepay his child’s school fees. Olukoyede revealed this during a press briefing in Abuja, asserting, “A sitting governor, aware of his impending departure, transferred funds directly from the government to a bureau de change to advance pay his child’s school fee, $720,000 in advance. In a financially constrained state like Kogi, how can I turn a blind eye to such actions, under the pretext of being ‘manipulated’? Manipulated by whom, at this stage of my life?”