Why American International School Denied $84,942 in Fees for Yahaya Bello’s Children: An Exclusive Look

The legal proceedings for the ex-governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, proceeded on Thursday, March 8, 2025, as the third prosecution witness, PW3, Nicholas Ojehomon, was questioned under oath by Justice Emeka Nwite from the Federal High Court in Abuja. During his testimony, he clarified that the American International School, Abuja (AISA) kept some portion of the school fees associated with Bello’s daughters since these funds were considered valid educational charges received by the institution.

The findings from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, revealed that an amount totaling $845,852.84, associated with illicit gains, was transferred to AISA for Bello’s offspring. The commission sought complete reimbursement of this sum; however, only $760,910.84 has been repaid so far by the institution.

The defence counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN had in the cross-examination, pressed the witness, an auditor with the school to account for the $84,942 difference in the amount paid to the school and what was refunded to the EFCC.

In response, the witness explained that the refunded amount represented advance school fees paid for the children, while the retained sum was for tuition already rendered during the academic session.

“The $760,910.84 was the portion of the school fees paid in advance, and it was refunded to the EFCC. The difference was the net fee due for the academic session, which the school retained as legitimate tuition,” he said.

At a previous sitting, the witness had testified that all payments made to the school whether by individuals or by international companies were for the exclusive benefit of Bello’s children.

He recognized the children as Zara Omoneke Bello, Fatima Bello, Na’ima Ohunene Bello, and Farid Bello.

He added that the institution independently decided to keep the remaining amount according to their own billing policies, and that they did not receive any instruction from the EFCC requiring them to hold back portions of the payment.

As the cross-examination began to veer off course, prosecuting attorney Olukayode Eniola,SAN raised an objection. He characterized the defense’s line of questioning as an effort to lead the witness into providing opinions that extended beyond the purview of the documents presented in court.

“He will not face a trial and needs protection from questions that are speculative or biased,” he stated.

After the objection was raised, the defense requested an adjournment to enable them to examine the upcoming evidence or, as an alternative, asked for the case to be temporarily suspended. However, this move incensed the chief prosecutor, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, who alleged that the defense was intentionally delaying the proceedings.

The chief prosecutor also expressed worries over the trouble faced by the prosecution witnesses who came to court but were unable to give their testimony.

“My lord, I am concerned that witnesses are departing from their workplaces without being summoned to appear in court. Given the significant public interest in this case, out of 28 witnesses, I’ve only had three so far,” he stated.

In adjourning the case until Friday, May 9, 2025, for the ongoing cross-examination of the witness, Justice Nwite instructed that all required document and exhibit reviews must be finished prior to this rescheduled date. This directive aims to prevent additional delays and guarantee a seamless progression of the proceedings.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is pursuing legal action against Yahaya Bello based on a 19-count indictment related to criminal breaches of trust and money laundering amounting to N80.2 billion. These allegations contravene Section 18(a), with penalties prescribed under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (amended version).