The American International School of Abuja (AISA) has admitted that the immediate past Governor of Kogi State paid a total of $845,852 as school fees for his children, starting from 2021 to the end of their studies in the school.
In a letter addressed to the Lagos zonal commander of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the school said the sum of $845,852 was paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date,” but that the sum to be refunded to the EFCC “is $760,910, because it had deducted educational services already rendered.
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“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.”
In the letter signed by Greg Hughes, the school said: “Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 (Eight Hundred and Forty Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and Fifty Two US Dollars and eighty four cents) in tuition and other fees has 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. (Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ten US Dollars and Eighty Four cents).
“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 promised to draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there are any further deposits by the Bello family.
The letter did not indicate that it was Yahaya Bello that paid money, but 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 letter came as a result of the ongoing investigations by the EFCC on the alleged money laundering hanging on the head of the former Governor.
The anti-graft agency had to write to the American International School of Abuja to refund the sum of $760,910.84 paid for the children of ex governor Yahaya Bello.
The EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede said at a press conference earlier in the week that Yahaya Bello withdrew $720,000 from the state’s coffers to pay his children’s school fees in advance.
The EFCC boss alleged that the former Kogi governor transferred money from the state coffers to a bureau de change operator, and used the money for his child’s school fee.
“A sitting governor, because he knew he was leaving office, moved money directly from the government to Bureau de change and used it to pay his child’s school fee in advance.
“Yahaya Bello took $720,000 from Kogi coffers to pay child’s school fees in advance.