Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has refuted allegations made by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding the payment of school fees for his children.
The controversy began on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, when the EFCC Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, alleged during a media briefing that Bello withdrew funds from the Kogi State Government account to pay his children’s school fees just before leaving office.
Since the press conference, receipts purportedly showing payments of the said fees have circulated online, prompting a response from Bello’s media office.
In a statement on Friday signed by his spokesman, Ohiare Michael, the former Kogi governor described the allegations by the EFCC as false and misleading.
Bello stated that he did not pay the fees of his children with money from the coffers of the Kogi State Government. He also denied paying the alleged amounts of $720,000 or $840,000.
The former governor clarified that the payment of the fees began in 2021, not at the time he was supposed to leave office as claimed by the EFCC chairman.
The statement read, “His Excellency, Yahaya Bello’s children have attended the American International School, Abuja well before he became Governor, and he has paid fees for his children as and when due and without fail.
“His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello did not pay the sum of USD720,000 as alleged by the EFCC Chairman or USD840,000 as is being bandied about on the internet.
“The payment of the fees was not effected at about the time his Excellency was to leave office as claimed by Mr. Olukoyede but the same commenced in 2021.”
Bello’s statement further clarified that no money belonging to him or his family members regarding school fees had been recovered by the EFCC.
The former governor’s media office also addressed documents published online, stating that they were filed by lawyers in a suit instituted on behalf of Bello and others who paid fees for their wards under an Advance Fee Payment Agreement with the American International School, Abuja.
“We state that the payment of these fees and the legitimacy thereof is the subject matter of Charge No. FHC/CR/573/2022, filed by the EFCC since 15th December 2022 at the Federal High Court, Abuja. The Charge is pending and the Court has yet to make any finding or convicted anyone in respect of the said sum,” the statement concluded.
