• Monday, December 23, 2024
businessday logo

BusinessDay

Yahaya Bello: American school begins refund of $720,000 fees

Yahaya Bello: American school begins refund of $720,000 fees

Yahaya Bello, former Kogi State Governor

…As FG, Interpol perfect documents to extradite fleeing Binance Executive

Indications emerged on Friday revealing that the American International School, Abuja, has begun refunding the $720,000 school fees paid by former Governor Yahaya Bello for his children.

The School had earlier written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asking for an “authentic bank” into which the money would be paid, as the school undertook to refund the fees.

Recall that the EFCC had accused the Governor of taking the money out of the state government account to settle the fees for five of his children in advance.

The embattled Governor is standing trial for allegedly misappropriating over N80 billion belonging to the state government in the past eight years.

The EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewole, while speaking with BusinessDay at the anti-graft agency’s office in Abuja on Friday, revealed that the anti-graft agency has submitted the account to the school, adding that the “school has made some payments into the account.

“ We are aware that the school has declared that it is ready to begin the refund and they have made some payments.”

Oyewale who, however, could not say exactly how much has been refunded, added that “ the money is not being paid to the EFCC, it is being paid into a federal government account and only the operators of the account can say how much has been paid so far”

Bello is being prosecuted alongside Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80, 246, 470,089.88k (Eight Billion, Two Hundred and Forty-six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy thousand, and.

Ola Olukoyede, the EFCC Chairman, has vowed to ensure that the former Kogi Governor is prosecuted, for money laundering offences and other crimes committed while in office

Oyewale, while also speaking on the current position of the fleeing Binance Regional Manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who escaped from a Nigerian detention facility on March 22, said the federal government agencies involved in the case are working to perfect the documents for Anjarwalla’s extradition from Kenya.

“You know that this is an international issue that affects both countries, Interpol and international laws.

“But we are aware that the relevant security agencies, the Ministry of Justice and the International Police Organization INTERPOL are working to perfect all the necessary documents for his extradition

“As soon as these processes are complete, he will be brought back to Nigeria to answer for his crimes.

Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date

Open In Whatsapp