A former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, paid his children’s school fees in dollars until their graduation, according to Nicholas Ojehomon, an internal auditor at the American International School in Abuja.
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Testifying in court, Ojehomon stated that while he did not personally know Bello, he was aware that four of the former governor’s children were enrolled in the school. He identified them as Zayan Bello, Zara Bello, Farid Bello, Na’ima Bello, and Nana Fatima Bello. Their tuition was reportedly paid in advance by Bello’s cousin, Ali Bello.
Providing a breakdown of the payments, Ojehomon disclosed that $90,074 was paid for Farid Bello, $87,470 for Zara Bello, $26,241 for Na’ima Bello, and $18,707 for Nana Bello. He also submitted an agreement detailing the prepaid tuition fees, which was accepted by the court as an exhibit.
The prosecution counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, presented additional documents, including email correspondences, statements of account, and certified copies of admission letters. The court admitted these materials as exhibits.
Meanwhile, the school has requested a valid account number from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to facilitate the refund of the fees, which will be processed through a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account.
