By Ono Yima
The American International School, Abuja, has made the payment of $760,910 it agreed to pay back to EFCC as part of the advance fee paid to the school by Ex-Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, for his children in the school, till 2035.
Confirmation of the payment, according Channels Television, was obtained from the EFCC Spokesman, Dele Oyewale, on Saturday.
The school, which has been heavily criticized on the social media channels, for aiding corruption through money laundering, and for even accepting their school fees in dollars, has, in a response said it is cooperating with the EFCC and that it has nothing to hide in the matter, as a show of respect for national institutions.
The school went further to admit that it accepted payment from the family (Yahaya Bello), adding that it was well documented in their records.
In their response to the various media reports, titled “Statement from the American International School of Abuja Re: Recent media reports regarding AISA and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)” the school said:
“Recent media reports have highlighted issues between the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), AISA and a family with children enrolled at the school, stemming from an investigation carried out in 2022.
“As a school, we did accept an advance payment for school fees, and duly documented these fees in our records. Upon learning that the school fees we accepted in good faith were, in fact, part of an ongoing case with the EFCC, we turned over these funds in compliance with this federal commission’s request. Our compliance to remit these funds underscores our commitment to upholding institutional integrity and our respect for the national institutions of Nigeria.
“At no point has the school been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to this case, and we are cooperating fully with the EFCC to address matters currently before the courts.
“As these legal matters are being resolved within the Nigerian judicial system and involve one of our families, we will refrain from making any further comments at this time.
“As an institution, we remain committed to providing excellent service to our school community in line with our core values, vision and mission.”
Many have spoken out urging the Federal Government to prosecute the school alongside the Ex-Governor and all others involved, for money laundering.
Among those canvassing for their prosecution is the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore.
In the meantime, the social media is awash with the documentary evidence of the receipts issued by the school in acknowledgement of the payments made by the Bello family.
You may also want to read our earlier post on this matter, INCREDULOUS! AMERICAN SCHOOL CONTACTS EFCC, READY TO REFUND YAHAYA BELLO’S $760K CHILDREN’S SCHOOL FEES