Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has expressed deep grief over the death of member representing Enugu State on the Board of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and a former lawmaker representing Enugu North Senatorial Zone, Senator Ayogu Eze.

Mbah, who said it had been difficult to come to terms with the development, described it as as a monumental loss to the state and Nigeria as a whole, noting that the late Senator Ayogu served the nation creditably starting from his home state, Enugu, where he served in several capacities to the national level where he served in both the legislative and executive arms of government.

Mbah expressed his grief in a statement he personally signed on Friday, saying that the state would stand by Ayogu’s family in this time of grief and prayed God to grant the deceased’s soul eternal rest.

“I received with a deep sense of grief the news of the passing of my brother, friend, and our illustrious son, Distinguished Senator Ayogu Eze. This is a huge loss, not only to the Government and people of Enugu State, but also the nation as a whole.

“Senator Ayogu was a thoroughbred media professional, entrepreneur, community leader, and nation-builder, who served Enugu State in several capacities, including as a Commissioner, before proceeding to the centre where he served as a two-term senator and on the Boards of the Nigerian Ports Authority and the RMAFC.

“His services to the people of Enugu State and the nation will be sorely missed, especially at a time the nation is in need of experienced hands like him.

“We stand with members of the Ayogu Eze family in this time of grief and pray God to grant them the fortitude to bear the grievous loss.

“May God grant his gentle soul eternal repose”, Mbah stated.

The American International School of Abuja has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of Yahaya Bello, immediate-past governor of Kogi state.

Bello allegedly paid $720,000 in advance as fees for five of his children from the coffers of the Kogi State Government.

The children are in Grade Levels 2 to 8 at the school.

On April 17, EFCC operatives laid siege on Bello’s residence in Abuja in an attempt to arrest him over an alleged N80.2 billion fraud.

While the operatives were at the house, Usman Ododo, governor of Kogi, arrived at the property and reportedly whisked Bello away.

In a letter addressed to the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date.”

AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.

It added, “Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 in tuition and other fees have been deposited into our bank account.

“We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84.

“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

The school said it would draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there were any further deposits by the Bello family.

In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday 13 August 2021 requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from High School”.

The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, had earlier revealed that the former governor transferred $720,000 from the government’s coffers to a bureau de change before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.

Olukoyede revealed this during an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House.

“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?”