EFCC told to prosecute US school over $760k fees of Yahaya Bello's children

Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to charge and prosecute the American International School of Abuja (AISA) for money laundering.

Pulse reported that $760,000 was paid to the school as an advance payment for the children of Yahaya Bello, the embattled ex-governor of Kogi State.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that Bello had withdrawn money from the Kogi State government’s coffers.

Confirming the money’s status, the AISA wrote to the anti-graft agency requesting that they verify banking information to refund fees paid for Yahaya Bello’s children, the former governor of Kogi state.

In a letter to the EFCC, AISA stated that they had paid $845,852 in tuition fees from September 7, 2021.

The school indicated that $760,910 must be refunded after deducting the cost of educational services already provided.

Despite cooperating with the EFCC, Sowore has urged the anti-graft agency to charge the school with money laundering.

“Sowore, in a social media post on X sighted by Pulse on Friday, April 26, wrote, The American International School @AISAbuja, where fugitive former Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello @OfficialGYBKogi and his former Chief of Staff, Ali Bello, laundered close to $ 1 million in the name of paying “future school fees” of their wards should be charged and prosecuted for money laundering instead of being allowed to refund the money; this is the way the American justice system treats such cases on US soil.

“The @officialEFCC must also ensure the school discloses all such school fees paid by Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), I am sure there are a lot of discoveries that would be uncovered such that the school could be converted to a public school instead of its criminal connivance with financial criminals fleecing the Nigerian public across board, these must necessary apply to these ultra-expensive private schools in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the school has offered to inform the anti-corruption agency if the Bello family tries to pay more money.

According to a statement from the school, signed by Greg Hughes and Ali Bello, they reached out to them to pay school fees upfront until the students graduate from high school.

As a result, the EFCC declared Ali Bello a wanted person, and the NIS placed the former governor under surveillance.