The American International School, Abuja, has clarified that its compliance with the demand of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by returning school fees paid by a family believed to be that of former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, underscored its commitment to institutional integrity and respect for Nigeria’s national institutions.
The school was reacting to the controversy surrounding the advance payment of $760,000 for school fees by the former governor of Kogi State for his children in the school.
The school said that it had nothing to hide in the matter and has been cooperating with the EFCC to address the matter as part of its respect for the national institutions in the country.
The school disclosed this on Saturday in a statement issued by the Head of School, Greg Hughes, and obtained by LEADERSHIP, adding that it had returned the fees to the EFCC.
While the statement did not directly name former Governor Bello, it alluded to “a family with children enrolled at the school,” aligning with recent media reports.
Acknowledging the sensitive nature of the ongoing case between the EFCC and Bello, the school refrained from making further comments, citing the sub-judice status of the issue. The statement admitted that the school accepted an advance payment for school fees and was duly documented in their records and had since returned the money to the EFCC in compliance with a request to carry out investigations.
The statement read, “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.”
