The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday resumed the trial of the former Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, over allegations of theft and mismanagement of state funds.
Abubakar Hassan, a witness called by the EFCC, testified in court regarding the accusations that the defendants conspired to divert funds earmarked for teachers’ salaries under the State Universal Basic Education Board.
The EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the development in a statement, noting that the duo had been arraigned in October 2024 and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
“The Matching Grant Funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission are meant to provide certain infrastructural facilities for both students of primary and junior secondary schools. Such facilities include the construction of buildings for primary schools, provision of laboratories for students, construction of toilets, provision of water and sanitation, and cultural education,” the statement read.
“The commission made lodgment for 2013, 2014 and 2015. Kwara State got a Matching Grant of about ₦2 billion in 2013, ₦876 million was released in 2014, and they got ₦982 million in 2015, totalling about ₦5 billion.
“The implementation of the 2013 Action Plan had already commenced, and contractors were already being mobilised to work at the site, but surprisingly, during our project monitoring exercise, we discovered that the monies meant for the project (2013) had been diverted by the Kwara SUBEB. We discovered that about N2 billion was diverted,” Hassan narrated.
After this discovery, the witness said the report of the projects monitoring committee was sent to the Kwara SUBEB, asking them to comply with the committee’s recommendations, but there was no response.
The trial judge, Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar, adjourned further hearing on the case till February 17, 2025.
