EFCC: How Ex-Kogi Gov Allegedly Paid Children’s School Fees In Advance From N80.2bn Fraud

• The third prosecution witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, testified that Yahaya Bello paid his children’s school fees in advance in dollars, using funds linked to an alleged N80.2bn fraud
• Several documents were presented in court, including admission letters, prepaid tuition agreements, and bank transactions, which showed significant sums paid for Bello's children’s education
• A compliance officer presented evidence of Kogi State Government’s account transactions, revealing millions withdrawn, while the defense raised concerns about the validity of the records

FCT, Abuja – The trial of former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello took a dramatic turn on Thursday, March 6, when the third prosecution witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, testified about how Bello paid his children's school fees in advance and in dollars, using funds linked to an alleged N80.2bn fraud.

The testimony was delivered before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Dele Oyewale, Head, Media & Publicity disclosed this development via X on Friday, March 7.

Read also:

She Wants Lambo Fans React To Burna Boy And Naomi Campbells Fun Time In France

Witness: Yahaya Bello prepaid school fees for children

Ojehomon, an internal auditor at the American International School, Abuja (AISA), explained that while he did not personally know Yahaya Bello, he was aware that Bello was a parent of children enrolled at the school.

The witness identified the defendant’s children as Zayan Bello, Zara Bello, Farid Bello, Na’ima Bello, and Nana Fatima Bello.

Each of these children was enrolled at the school at different times.

Ojehomon’s testimony detailed that in 2021, Ali Bello, Yahaya Bello’s cousin, made an arrangement with the school to pay the tuition fees of the children in advance until their graduation.

This arrangement was captured in Exhibit 12, an agreement for prepaid tuition fees, Vanguard reported.

The total amounts paid were substantial: Farid Bello’s fees amounted to $90,074, Zara Bello’s to $87,470, Na’ima Bello’s to $26,241, and Nana Bello’s to $18,707.

Read also:

Right To Life In Jeopardy In Nigeria Amid Femicide Epidemic

Evidence presented to High Court

The prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro SAN, presented several documents in court to support the claims.

These included certified copies of the school’s admission letters for the defendant’s children, the contractual agreement for prepaid tuition, teller copies of payments, and email correspondence between Ali Bello and the school.

The court admitted these documents as exhibits without objection from the defense counsel.

Additionally, Exhibit 17, a letter from AISA to the EFCC, revealed that the school had requested a valid account number for the refund of fees paid on behalf of the children.

The total amount to be refunded was divided into two sums: $845,082.84 and $750,910.84, with the latter to be refunded to the EFCC.

A subsequent letter from the EFCC (Exhibit 18) confirmed that the refund would be made to a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account.

Financial records and withdrawals

Earlier in the trial, the second prosecution witness, Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), presented documents that included a statement of account for the Kogi State Government House.

The statement, marked as Exhibit 8, revealed a total credit of N53.56 billion and a total debit of N53.55 billion between January 2019 and December 2020.

During cross-examination, Abimbola confirmed that multiple withdrawals of N10 million were made in favour of one Abdulsalam Hudu on December 12, 2018.

These transactions were processed using cheques, which were withdrawn over the counter. The prosecution clarified that all records were obtained through proper legal procedures.

Defence and Adjournment

The defense counsel, J.B. Daudu, SAN, raised concerns over the compliance officer's ability to scrutinize an account domiciled in UBA’s Lokoja branch, as she was based in Abuja.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until Friday, March 7, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.

Expert bemoans deep-rooted corruption in Nigeria

While speaking with Legit.ng renowned governance expert and anti-corruption advocate, Mr. Augustine Igweshi, Director of the Centre for Good Governance and Accountability, criticized the former governor’s alleged actions, stating that such financial recklessness is a betrayal of public trust.

“It is both outrageous and infuriating that while millions of Nigerians struggle to afford basic education, a public official allegedly funneled state resources to pay his children's school fees in dollars and in advance. This is the height of impunity,” Fasanya said.

According to Fasanya, the case underscores a larger systemic problem in Nigeria.

“This is not just about one individual; it reflects how deeply corruption is embedded in our governance structure. The ease with which state funds are allegedly diverted for personal luxuries highlights the failure of our financial oversight mechanisms,” he noted.

He further called for stronger accountability measures, stressing that unless public officials are held to higher ethical standards, financial mismanagement will continue to drain the nation’s resources.

“The judiciary and anti-corruption agencies must ensure that cases like this serve as a deterrent. Nigerians deserve leaders who are committed to service, not those who treat public funds as personal wealth,” Fasanya added.

EFCC Interrogates former Tinubu’s minister

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is interrogating former Minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye.

The former minister is being interrogated over allegations of misappropriation, procurement violations, and the diversion of public funds amounting to N138,413,253.89.