An respectable of the American World Faculty, Abuja, on Wednesday informed the Federal Prime Court docket in Abuja that the previous Governor of Kogi Atmosphere, Yahaya Bello, paid a complete of $1,606,763.68 in tuition charges for his youngsters, together with an go cost of $845,852 for his babies to be enrolled within the college going forward.
Nicholas Ojehomon, an auditor on the college, disclosed this week attesting as a prosecution observer for the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee.
He showed that the bills coated Bello’s youngsters’s tuition till commencement.
In line with him, the volume used to be paid in two tranches, with one phase serving as an go for past tuition charges.
Bello is these days going through an N80.2bn fraud rate filed by way of the EFCC.
All the way through the trial, the prosecution introduced monetary information, together with statements from the American World Faculty, which vivid the bills made in the name of Bello’s youngsters.
At a prior listening to on January 29, Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with United Locker for Africa Plc, testified underneath subpoena and tendered paperwork appearing transactions homogeneous to the varsity charges.
The EFCC had previous alleged that in a while earlier than escape place of business, Bello paid $760,000 as an go for his youngsters’s college charges.
The fee additional claimed that the varsity refunded the cash following an investigation into the subject.
All the way through Thursday’s complaints, Ojehomon testified that Bello’s brother, Ali Bello, facilitated the cost procedure.
He informed the courtroom: “Mr. Ali Bello contacted the American International School, Abuja, on Friday, August 13, requesting to pay the Bello children’s school fees until they graduate. The school management accepted his offer.”
The observer additional observable that the bills coated 4 of Bello’s youngsters, enrolled in Grades 8, 6, 4, and a pair of.
Moreover, he showed that cost used to be additionally made for past youngsters who had been but to be enrolled on the year, with an anticipated get started moment of August 2022, equipped length used to be to be had.
In line with Ojehomon, “$90,074 was paid for Bello’s daughter in Grade 8; $87,470 for his daughter in Grade 6; $26,241 for his daughter in Grade 4; and $18,707 for his daughter in Grade 2.”
The observer additionally known a contractual pledge between the varsity and Ali Bello, outlining the prepayment association.
EFCC recommend, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), tendered the varsity’s admission and pay as you go tuition charge paperwork as reveals.
Responding to questions about whether or not any finances had been refunded to the EFCC, Ojehomon mentioned, “$760,910.84 was refunded.”
He additionally showed that the EFCC equipped an account domiciled with the Central Locker of Nigeria for the refund.
Additional testimony used to be given by way of Williams, the second one prosecution observer from UBA, who submitted extra monetary paperwork, together with statements from accounts operated underneath Bello’s management.
She testified that more than one withdrawals had been made thru cheques from the Kogi Atmosphere Govt Space account.
The transactions, continuously damaged into N10m tranches, had been basically issued to 2 people: Abdulsalam Hudu and Aminu J.O.
Williams showed that on December 12, 2018, “Ten transactions of N10m each were processed in favor of Abdulsalam Hudu.”
She additionally named key signatories at the account, together with Christopher Enefola (Everlasting Secretary), Onekutu Daniel (Well-known Accountant), and Abdulsalam Hudu (Accountant).
Then again, underneath cross-examination, she admitted that Bello’s title didn’t seem in any of the transactions homogeneous to the Kogi Govt Space account.
“The name Yahaya Bello does not feature in exhibits P1 to P27,” protection recommend Daudu famous, to which Williams replied, “The name Bello did not appear anywhere.”
She additional admitted that she used to be now not the account officer in control of the Kogi Govt Space account and that the account used to be controlled from Lokoja, Kogi Atmosphere, instead than her department in Department 3, Abuja.
Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the trial to Friday, March 6, for continuation of complaints.