Alleged N80.2BN Fraud: Yahaya Bello Paid Children’s School Fees in Dollars, Years in Advance

Abuja, March 6, 2025 – The trial of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, took a revealing turn on Thursday as the prosecution’s third witness, Nicholas Ojehomon, detailed how Bello allegedly paid his children's school fees in dollars, covering their tuition in advance until graduation.  

Testifying before Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court, Abuja, Ojehomon, an internal auditor at the American International School, Abuja (AISA), confirmed that while he did not personally know Bello, he was aware that the former governor's children were enrolled at the institution.  

“I did not know the defendant personally, but I am aware that he is a parent of children enrolled in our school,” Ojehomon stated.  

Upon reviewing school records, he identified the children as Zayan Bello, Zara Bello, Farid Bello, Na’ima Bello, and Nana Fatima Bello, each admitted in different academic years. His examination of Exhibit 12, a prepaid tuition agreement, revealed that Ali Bello, a cousin to Yahaya Bello, had arranged in 2021 to settle their fees upfront until graduation.  

Massive Dollar Payments Uncovered 

The prosecution, led by Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, submitted key documents as evidence, including:  
- Certified copies of AISA admission letters for the defendant’s children.  
- A prepaid tuition contract covering their education until graduation.  
- Teller copies of payments made.  
- Email correspondences between Ali Bello and the school.  
- Statements of account from TD Bank USA and the American International School.  

With no objection from the defence, the court admitted the documents as exhibits.  

The witness further confirmed the sums paid for each child:  
- Farid Bello – $90,074 
- Zara Bello – $87,470  
- Na’ima Bello – $26,241  
- Nana Fatima Bello – $18,707  

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Refund Requests and Banking Evidence

The prosecution also presented Exhibit 17, a letter from AISA to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) requesting a valid account number for refunding the fees. The document referenced two sums:  
- $845,082.84  
- $750,910.84 (earmarked for a refund to the EFCC).  

Additionally, Exhibit 18, a letter from the EFCC to AISA, confirmed that the refund was to be made into a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) account.  

UBA Compliance Officer Confirms Financial Transactions 

Earlier in the proceedings, the second prosecution witness (PW2), Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with United Bank for Africa (UBA), presented banking records under subpoena. Exhibit 8, a statement of account belonging to the Kogi State Government House, revealed:  
- Total credit: N53.56 billion 
- Total debit: N53.55 billion (between January 2019 and December 2020).  

Under cross-examination, PW2 disclosed that multiple N10 million withdrawals were made in favor of one Abdulsalam Hudu on December 12, 2018, using cheques processed over the counter.  

During re-examination, the prosecution clarified that Exhibit 2P1, the certificate of compliance, was duly signed on behalf of Edward Bamanga, verifying the authenticity of the financial documents.  

“All records presented are verifiable and were duly obtained in line with legal procedures,” the prosecution counsel stated.  

Defence’s Objection and Adjournment  

The defence counsel, **J.B. Daudu, SAN**, argued that the UBA compliance officer, based in Abuja, could not scrutinize an account domiciled at the **Lokoja Branch** of the bank.  

Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the case to Friday, March 7, 2025, for continuation of trial.  

Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity