SaharaReporters earlier reported that agreement documents and payment receipts showed details of how Yahaya Bello paid school fees for his children including his pre-school child, Zayyan Ali Bello, in advance up to 2034/35.
Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has demanded a full scale prosecution of the American International School, Abuja, as well as the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and his nephew, Ali Bello, for money laundering.
Sowore, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, made the demand on Friday while reacting to reports that the American International School Abuja agreed to refund $760,910.84 which Bello paid for his children’s tuition in advance.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that agreement documents and payment receipts showed details of how Yahaya Bello paid school fees for his children including his pre-school child, Zayyan Ali Bello, in advance up to 2034/35.
The payments were made to the American International School, Abuja (AISA).
The documents released to the Federal Capital Territory High Court on December 19, 2023, surfaced on the internet following the ongoing investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the activities of Bello as governor.
In one of the receipts, payment was made for up to the 2034/35 session.
SaharaReporters also earlier reported that the school in a letter sent to the EFCC which is investigating Bello for money laundering, agreed to refund $760,910.84 to the anti-corruption agency.
Reacting to the reports, Sowore in a post on his X handle said that the school, Bello and his nephew must be prosecuted for money laundering instead of being allowed to refund the laundered money.
Sowore stressed that if such an offence was committed in America, the school and all the people involved in the money laundering would be fully prosecuted according to the justice system of America.
He said that “The American International School @AISAbuja, where fugitive former Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello @OfficialGYBKogi and his former Chief of Staff, Ali Bello, laundered close to $1million in the name of paying “future school fees” of their wards should be charged and prosecuted for money laundering instead of being allowed to refund the money.
“This is the way the American justice system treats such cases on US soil.”
Sowore insisted that “The @officialEFCC must also ensure the school discloses all such school fees paid by Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs).
“I am sure there are a lot of discoveries that would be uncovered such that the school could be converted to a public school instead of its criminal connivance with financial criminals fleecing the Nigerian public across board.
“These must necessarily apply to these ultra-expensive private schools in Nigeria.”