An auditor at the American International School on Thursday, March 12, told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court in Maitama, Abuja, how $760,910 was paid in advance as school fees for the children of former Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello.
Bello is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving ₦110.4 billion.
The auditor, Nicholas Okehone, who testified as the 14th prosecution witness before Justice Maryanne Anineh, said the payments were made through several international transfers in line with an agreement for the pre-payment of the students’ school fees until graduation.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Kemi Pinheiro, Okehone confirmed that the former governor had four children enrolled at the institution and that documents relating to their admission, fee payments, and banking transactions had earlier been submitted before the court.
He identified the students as Zahra Bello, Na’ima Bello, Nana Fatima Bello, and Farid Bello.
He added that Zayyan Ali Bello, the son of Ali Bello, a relative of the former governor, was also listed as a beneficiary of the payments.
Okehone identified documents already tendered before the court, including admission letters, certificates of identification, email correspondences between the school and Ali Bello, telex copies of payments from banks in the United States, and a pre-payment agreement covering school fees until graduation.
The documents also include school receipts, statements of account from Zenith Bank and TD Bank, and letters between the school and the EFCC regarding the refund of the fees.
Justice Anineh admitted the documents as exhibits despite objections from defence counsel Paul Daudu.
According to Okehone, one of the documents, titled ‘Pre-Paid School Fees Until Graduation’, showed that the agreement was signed by the school’s head, Grace Hudge, and Ali on behalf of the family.
Okehone further told the court that the school received the payments through several international transfers.
The transfers include $49,600 from Forza Oil and Gas for Zahra and $44,700 from the same company for Fatima.
Whales Oil and Gas transferred $11,000 for Farida, while Alyeshua Solutions Services wired $78,160 for Fatima and $42,170 for Na’ima.
He also testified that Unnati General Trading LLC, through First Abu Dhabi Bank in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), made several transfers of $75,000 for Na’ima, Farid, Fatima, and Zahra.
Additional payments, according to him, included $100,000 transferred from Kampala, Uganda, by Manzi Issa for Zayyad and $90,000 sent by Dada Grand Merchant Limited for Zainab.
Okehone told the court that the school’s TD Bank account reflected multiple inflows corresponding to the transfers.
“I confirm that all the payments are in line with the agreement to pay school fees in advance,” he said.
Okehone further testified that the school refunded the entire amount after correspondence with the EFCC.
“The American International School wrote to the EFCC indicating its intention to refund the school fees paid.
“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 (CBN),” he said.
The 13th prosecution witness, Yakubu Haruna, testified about the sale of a property located at 35 Danube street in Maitama, Abuja.
He said the property, which comprises four detached housing units, belonged to Palchi Nigeria Limited and was sold in January 2022 to White Tree Nigeria Limited for ₦950 million cash, paid in United States dollars.
He added that the money was later handed over to a bureau de change operator for custody after confirmation.
Other witnesses, including a compliance officer with Access Bank, Olomotane Egoro, and a legal practitioner, James Bem Igbakymeh, who facilitated another property transaction in Abuja, also testified during the hearing.
The court admitted several documents relating to the property transactions as exhibits.
Justice Anineh adjourned the matter to May 5th and 8th, as well as June 16 and 17, for the continuation of the trial and hearing of pending applications.
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