On Wednesday, a prosecution witness from the American International School confirmed in the Federal High Court in Abuja that Yahaya Bello, former Governor of Kogi State, paid $1,606,763.68 for the tuition of his children.
The witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, an auditor at the school, revealed that the amount covered fees for Bello’s children from their current classes until graduation.
During his testimony, Ojehomon explained that the payment was made in two parts: the first was an advance for the children’s education, and the second was a full payment for all four of Bello’s children attending the school. The children were enrolled in various grades, including grade 8, 6, 4, and 2.
The prosecution, led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has charged Bello with involvement in an N80.2 billion fraud.
Previous hearings have shown that, in 2024, the EFCC revealed that shortly before the end of his term, Bello made an initial $760,000 advance payment to the school for his children’s tuition fees. This amount was later refunded to the EFCC during their investigation.
Ojehomon testified that Bello’s brother, Ali Bello, had contacted the school to arrange for the payment. He added that the school agreed to accept the offer to prepay fees for Bello’s children until they graduated.
Additionally, Ojehomon confirmed that the prepayment also included potential future enrollments if space became available in 2022.
In terms of payment breakdown, $90,074 was paid for the child in grade 8, $87,470 for the child in grade 6, $26,241 for the child in grade 4, and $18,707 for the child in grade 2.
The witness also provided documents confirming the tuition payments, including a signed contract for the pre-paid fees, which were endorsed by Ali Bello and Bright Hughes of the American International School. The court also received letters confirming the tuition refund process from the school to the EFCC.
The court proceedings continue with additional testimonies from other witnesses, including a representative from UBA bank, who presented details on financial transactions involving the Kogi State Government House during Bello’s tenure. The case is ongoing, and the next hearing will take place on March 6, 2025.
