The American International School of Abuja has formally requested the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to furnish them with accurate banking details to facilitate the reimbursement of fees previously paid for the children of Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi state. 

Bello is purported to have made an upfront payment of $720,000 for the tuition of five of his children, sourced from the funds of the Kogi State Government. These children are currently enrolled in Grade Levels 2 to 8 at the institution. On April 17, EFCC operatives reportedly attempted to apprehend Bello at his residence in Abuja regarding an alleged N80.2 billion fraudulent activity. 

During this operation, Usman Ododo, the governor of Kogi, is said to have arrived at the premises and escorted Bello away. 

The school, in a letter directed to the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, disclosed that a total of $845,852 has been paid for tuition fees “from the 7th of September 2021 until date.” 

AISA further indicated that the refundable amount stands at $760,910 after deductions for educational services already provided.

“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.

It added, “Since the 7th September 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.”

The school stated that it would notify the anti-corruption agency if there were any additional payments made by the Bello family. 

In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also mentioned that “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 Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, had previously disclosed that the former governor transferred $720,000 from government funds to a bureau de change before departing from office, intending to prepay his child’s school fees.

Olukoyede, who revealed this during an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja said, “A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House.

“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?”