American School refunds $760,000 Yahaya Bello children’s fee to EFCC

Arraignment, Appeal Court, American School, Yahaya Bello

The American International School of Abuja has refunded $760,000 paid as advanced school fees of the children of the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

It would be recalled that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, on April 23, 2024, disclosed that Bello withdrew $720,000 from the state government account to pay his children’s school fee in advance.

Olukoyede said the former governor transferred the money from the government’s coffers to a Bureau de Change in anticipation that he was about to leave office.

“A sitting governor, because he knew he was going, moved money directly from the government’s account to a bureau de change to pay his children’s school fees in advance, $720,000, in anticipation that he was going to leave government house,” the EFCC boss had said.

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The former governor’s five children are said to be in Grade Levels 2 to 8 at the American School.

Confirming the receipt of the refund of the money, the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency, Dele Oyewale, on Friday, April 26, said the school transferred $760,000 to the EFCC’s recovery account.

The Star recalls that EFCC operatives, on April 17, mounted surveillance around Bello’s house in Abuja to arrest and prosecute Bello for alleged N80.2 billion money laundering.

He was however whisked away from his residence by his successor, Governor Usman Ododo.

The anti-graft agency later arraigned the former governor in absentia before the court.

The Star