THE American International School Abuja (AISA) has sought to refund the $760,000 advance fee paid by the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, for his children.
In a letter, the school asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for “authentic banking details” to refund the fee.
The EFCC chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had alleged that Bello paid $720,000 in advance as fee for five of his children from the Kogi State government coffers.
The fee was to take care of their education for years.
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Bello is currently battling a corruption case worth N80.2 billion with the EFCC.
The EFCC had trailed the transaction between Bello and the school before the school issued its letter in 2022.
Reacting to the EFCC’s demand for the money in a letter dated October 24, 2022, the school stated that since it had already deducted the cost of the educational services, it would only refund $760,910.
The school said $845.8 in tuition and other fees has been deposited into its account since September 7, 2021.
The school noted, “We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the state after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84.”
It claimed in a statement signed by Greg Hughes that “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday, August 13, 2021, requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from high school,”
Bello has been on EFCC’s radar over corruption charges.
The commission’s operatives stormed Bello’s Abuja home on Wednesday, April 17, to arrest him.
The planned arrest on the alleged sleaze he perpetrated while in office.
His house in the Wuse Zone 4 area of the nation’s capital was cordoned off as the operatives made spirited attempts to gain entry.
However, the arrest was unsuccessful, as multiple reports say the Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, smuggled out the former governor.
Ododo drove into Bello’s residence while the EFCC surrounded the building Wednesday afternoon.
According to reports, the development forced the commission’s operatives to leave Bello’s residence.
The ICIR reported on March 15 that the EFCC filed charges against Bello, his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Sulaiman, and Abdulsalam Hudu for alleged N84 billion money laundering.
The case was initiated before James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, March 14, 2024.
The EFCC is prosecuting Bello and others on an amended 17-count charge of money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of N84 billion.
After failing to appear in court, the EFCC declared Bello wanted.
The anti-corruption Agency revealed this on its verified Facebook handle on Thursday, April 18.
The photograph of the former governor was displayed with the inscription ‘WANTED’ in the notice.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance