The American International School of Abuja has paid $760,910.84 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from the $845,852 school fees allegedly deposited by former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in respect of five of his children in the school
Bello is being prosecuted by the anti-graft body for allegedly defrauding the state to the tune of N80.2 billion.
The $845,852 is alleged to have been stolen from the Kogi State Government coffers.
But Bello vehemently denied the allegation yesterday and vowed that he would not succumb to any blackmail to “come through the backdoor.”
He also threatened to seek redress over the “defamatory” allegations.
A Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja has ordered EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede to appear before it on May 13, 2024, to show why an order of committal should not be made against him for allegedly disobeying its order.
The $845,852 was allegedly paid to the school by Bello in August 2021 to cover the education of four of his children in the school and another one “to be enrolled in August 2022 if application successful (sic) and there is space available.”
The fees were to cover a period of 14 years (2021–2035), according to documents filed in court by the EFCC to support its case against the ex-governor.
“The American school refunded the school fees in two tranches. Initially, it returned $720,000 to the EFCC and later $40,910,” a top source in EFCC told told journalists.
“Following mutual agreement with the EFCC, the school decided to retain some fees (I think $84,942) for services rendered and refund $760,910″
