Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi State, has refuted allegations made against him regarding the use of state funds to pay his children’s school fees.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede, alleged during a media briefing on April 23, 2024, that Bello withdrew money from the Kogi State Government account to pay his children’s school fees just before leaving office.
In response to these allegations, Bello issued a statement titled “Payment for school fees: Setting the records straight,” signed by Ohiare Michael, where he denied the accusations.
He clarified that his children had been attending the American International School, Abuja, long before he became governor, and he had consistently paid their fees on time.
Bello stated that the amount he paid for his children’s school fees was not as claimed by the EFCC Chairman.
He also emphasized that the payment was not made just before he left office but had commenced in 2021. He asserted that he did not use Kogi State Government funds to pay his children’s fees.
Furthermore, Bello mentioned that when the EFCC attempted to recover the fees from the American International School, Abuja, his family challenged the EFCC’s actions in court.
The FCT High Court ruled that the school could not refund fees paid by Bello and his family members to a third party, including the EFCC. The court instructed the school to continue providing the services for which the fees had been paid.
Bello highlighted that all documents published online by the EFCC regarding the fees, including receipts and letters, were filed by his lawyers in a lawsuit.
These documents, he stated, were public and showed that he had nothing to hide regarding the payment of advance fees for his children.
He also mentioned that the legitimacy of the fee payments is the subject of Charge No. FHC/CR/573/2022 filed by the EFCC on December 15, 2022, at the Federal High Court, Abuja. As of his statement, no findings or convictions had been made in relation to this charge.
