Yahaya Bello: American school begins refund of $720,000 fees

Anthony Ailemen

April 26, 2024


Indications emerged on Friday revealing that the American International School, Abuja, has begun refunding the $720,000 school fees paid by former Governor Yahaya Bello for his children.

The School had earlier written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asking for an “authentic bank” into which the money would be paid, as the school undertook to refund the fees.

Recall that the EFCC had accused the Governor of taking the money out of the state government account to settle the fees for five of his children in advance.

The embattled Governor is standing trial for allegedly misappropriating over N80 billion belonging to the state government in the past eight years.

The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewole, while speaking with BusinessDay at the anti-graft agency’s office in Abuja on Friday, revealed that the anti-graft agency has submitted the account to the school, adding that the “school has made some payments into the account.

“ We are aware that the school has declared that it is ready to begin the refund and they have made some payments.”

Oyewale who, however, could not say exactly how much has been refunded, added that “ the money is not being paid to the EFCC, it is being paid into a federal government account and only the operators of the account can say how much has been paid so far”

Bello is being prosecuted alongside Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246, 470,089.88k (Eight Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy thousand, and.

Ola Olukoyede, the EFCC Chairman, has vowed to ensure that the former Kogi Governor is prosecuted, for money laundering offences and other crimes committed while in office

Source: BusinessDay