Yemi Obafemi
American International School, Abuja has refunded a sum of $760,000 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the fee paid by Yahaya Bello for five of his children.
AISA said , the fee was mearnt to cover the children tuition till they graduate from the school. .
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed the receipt of the refund of $760,000 from AISA.
Earlier, the American International School of Abuja had asked the EFCC to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of the former governor.
According to AISA, a sum of $760,000 was refunded because the school had deducted educational services already rendered.
In a letter addressed to the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date.”
“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.”
In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said, “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.”
April 17, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission visited Yahaya Bello residence In Abuja for alleged N80.2 billion fraud.
In an interview with journalist on Tuesday in Abuja, The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, had earlier revealed that the former governor transferred $720,000 from the government’s coffers to a bureau de change before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.
He 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?”
