Witness Testifies How Former Kogi Governor Paid $760,910 for His Children’s School Fees

Yahaya Bello’s ongoing trial over an alleged ₦110.4 billion fraud took a new turn on Thursday after a prosecution witness told the court that more than $760,000 was paid as advance school fees for the former governor’s children at the American International School Abuja.

Testifying before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, the witness, Nicholas Okehone, said the payments were made to cover school fees for several of Bello’s children enrolled at the institution.

Okehone, an internal auditor at the school and Prosecution Witness 14, told the court that a total of $760,910.84 was paid under an agreement that allowed the Bello family to pre-pay tuition fees until the students graduate.

The trial judge, Justice Maryanne Anineh, is presiding over the case in which Bello is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering.

While being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Professor Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, the witness confirmed that the former governor had four children enrolled at the school.

“Yes, I know him as a parent. He has children in my institution,” Okehone told the court.

He identified the children as Zahra Bello, Na’ima Bello, Nana Fatima Bello and Farid Bello. He also mentioned Zayyan Ali Bello, a son of Ali Bello, a nephew of the former governor, as another beneficiary of the payments.

According to the witness, the school entered into a “Pre-Paid School Fees Until Graduation” agreement with the Bello family. The agreement, he said, was signed by Grace Hudge, the Head of School at AISA, and Ali Bello on behalf of the family.

Okehone also confirmed several documents tendered in court, including admission letters, certificates of identification, email correspondence with the school, bank payment records, and letters exchanged with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The court admitted the documents as exhibits despite objections from defence counsel led by Paul Daudu, SAN.

The witness further explained that the school received the payments through multiple international transfers from companies and individuals.

Some of the payments included $49,600 and $44,700 from Forza Oil and Gas, $78,160 and $42,170 from Alyeshua Solutions Services, as well as several $75,000 transfers from Unnati General Trading LLC through a bank in the United Arab Emirates.

Additional payments were reportedly made by individuals and companies from Uganda, including transfers of $100,000 and $90,000 for beneficiaries linked to the Bello family.

Okehone told the court that the payments were consistent with the agreement to pay school fees in advance.

However, he said the school later refunded the full amount after correspondence with the anti-graft agency.

“The American International School wrote to the EFCC indicating its intention to refund the school fees paid,” he said.

“The EFCC then provided account details, and the school refunded the total sum of $760,910.84 to an EFCC account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

Earlier in the proceedings, another prosecution witness, Yakubu Haruna, told the court about the sale of a property located on Danube Street in Maitama, Abuja.

He said the property, consisting of four detached housing units, was sold in January 2022 to White Tree Nigeria Limited for ₦950 million, which he claimed was delivered in United States dollars at an office in Abuja.

The trial also featured testimony from bank officials and legal practitioners regarding other property transactions linked to the case.

After hearing the witnesses, Justice Anineh adjourned the matter to May 5 and 8, as well as June 16 and 17, 2026, for the continuation of the trial and hearing of pending applications.