Alleged N3bn Fraud: Ex-Gov Ahmed, Banu’s Trial Slated For December 3

Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has fixed December 3, 2024, for the commencement of the trial of Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, a former governor of the state, over a 15-count charge bordering on the alleged diversion of N3 billion public funds.

According to the charge sheet prepared by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former governor is being charged with diverting Universal Basic Education (UBEC) funds for other purposes.

During their re-arraignment on Monday at the State High Court, Ilorin, the former governor and his former Finance commissioner, Demola Banu, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail of N100m each.

The presiding judge, Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar, later fixed December 3, 2024, for the commencement of the trial.

In an interview with journalists, the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said that the re-arraignment of the former governor from the Federal High Court to the state High Court was a result of the conclusion of the investigation of other aspects of the allegations and to prevent moving from one court to another.

Count one of the charges against Ahmed reads: ” That you, Abdulfatah  Ahmed (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and Ademola Banu  (while being the commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), on or about 14 January 2015 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally spend the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) to pay salaries of civil servants in Kwara State which sum was originally domiciled in the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account and which sum formed part of the funds allocated for the execution of the projects stated in the action plan for the year 2013 and approved by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.”

Count two reads:” That you, Abdulfatah Ahmed (while being the governor of Kwara State) and Ademola Banu (while being the commissioner of finance of Kwara State), on or about 14th January 2015 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, in such capacity having dominion over certain property, to wit: the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum, when you dishonestly transferred the said sum from the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account into the Kwara State Pension salary account domiciled with Polaris Bank for the payment of salaries of civil servants in Kwara State contrary to the direction of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 315 of the Criminal Code and punishable under the same section.”

Count three reads:” That you, Abdulfatah Ahmed (while being the governor of Kwara State) and Ademola Banu (while being the commissioner of finance of Kwara State), between 25th July 2016 and 7th September 2016 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this. Honourable Court, did illegally spend an aggregate sum of N990,545,883.64 (Nine Hundred and Ninety Million, Five Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Eighty Hundred and Eighty-Three Naira and Sixty- Four Kobo) to pay Salaries of civil servants in Kwara State which sun was initially domiciled in the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account and which sum formed part of the funds allocated for the execution of the projects stated in the action plan for the year 2014 and approved by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC). You thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act. 2000 and punishable under the same section.”

Count 14 reads:” That you, Abdulfatah Ahmed (while being the governor of Kwara State) and Ademola (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), between 2015 and 2019 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally transferred an aggregate sum of N1,610,730,500.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Ten Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred Naira), to Travel Messengers Limited for chattering private jets, for your own use and which sum formed part of the funds meant for the security and running cost of the Government of Kwara State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.”