Witness: Court Never Authorised Refund of Yahaya Bello Children’s $760k Fees to EFCC

A prosecution witness says a judgement of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court faulted the refund of school fees by the American International School Abuja (AISA) to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Nicholas Ojehomon, an internal auditor at the school and the 14th prosecution witness, spoke on Tuesday during cross-examination  in the ongoing alleged money laundering trial of Yahaya Bello, the former Kogi state governor.

Ojehomon read portions of a certified true copy (CTC) of the judgment in a suit filed by Ali Bello against the school over the disputed school fees.

According to the judgment read in court, the school acted wrongly by refunding the money to the EFCC without a court order or the consent of the claimant.

The witness read part of the judgment as saying: “It is hereby declared that the Defendant cannot lawfully and unilaterally grant the ‘request for refund’ and pay over to a third party, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or anyone howsoever described, the sum of $760,910.84 or any other sum paid pursuant to the ‘Agreement for Prepaid School Fees except in accordance with the said agreement or upon an order of court”.

He also read another portion which stated: “It is hereby declared that any refund/payment of the sum of $760,910.84 or any other sum made to a third party, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or any other person, however described, pursuant to any request for refund, or howsoever described, without regards to due process or agreement of the Claimant is in breach of the Agreement for Prepaid School Fees”.

The witness further read the part of the judgment restraining the school from refunding the money to the EFCC or any other party without due process or a valid court order.

According to the judgment, the court granted “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant whether by itself, its trustees, members of staff, agents, privies, representatives and or any person howsoever described, from giving effect to any request for refund and/or paying over the sum of $760,910.84 or any other sum paid pursuant to the Agreement, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or anybody or account, howsoever described, except as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction or with recourse to the due process of law”.

After reading the excerpts, Ojehomon said the judgment implied that the school ought not to have refunded the fees to the EFCC without a court order.

The witness also confirmed that Bello was not a signatory to the prepaid school fees agreement marked as exhibit AX4.

He added that in his eight to nine years as an internal auditor at the school, no payment connected to the agreement originated from the former governor.

Bello allegedly paid $760,910 in advance as fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi state government.

In April 2024, the EFCC confirmed that the school refunded the money to the commission.

Bello is standing trial alongside Abdulsalami Hudu and Umar Shuaibu Oricha on a 16-count charge of criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving N110.4 billion.