An official of the American International School, Abuja, testified in court on Wednesday that former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, paid a total of $1,606,763.68 in tuition fees for his children, including an advance payment of $845,852 for future enrollment. Nicholas Ojehomon, an auditor at the school, revealed this while testifying as a prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He confirmed that the payments covered the children’s education until graduation.
The testimony was part of Bello’s ongoing ₦80.2 billion fraud case filed by the EFCC. The prosecution presented financial records from the school and statements from UBA Plc, detailing the transactions. According to the EFCC, the payments were facilitated by Bello’s brother, Ali Bello, who reached out to the school in August 2022 to settle tuition fees in advance. However, a refund of $760,910.84 was later made to the EFCC following an investigation.
During the hearing, a UBA compliance officer also provided financial documents showing multiple withdrawals from the Kogi Government House account, often processed in ₦10 million tranches. However, under cross-examination, the officer admitted that Yahaya Bello’s name did not appear in any of the transactions presented in court. The case continues as both sides argue their positions.