PICTORIAL: Kwara Court Remands 6 SUBEB Officials Over Alleged N96m Fraud

The Ilorin zonal directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned six officials of Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) before Justice Suleiman Akanbi of the State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, for alleged N96m fraud.

The SUBEB officials were facing prosecution on a four-count charge of breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N96m.

The defendants are, Ahmed Husain Olarewaju, director, Finance and Supply; Omole Omololu John, controller, Finance and Accounts; Fatai Oyerinde, coordinator, salary unit; Mujeeb Ibrahim, executive officer, Account and Salary schedule; Salami Temitope Bashir and Dauda Aweda Quozim, who are staff of the salary unit of SUBEB.

The defendants, in their various capacities, allegedly conspired between 2018 and 2020 to convert public funds belonging to the Kwara State Government for their personal use and shared the proceeds among themselves.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Ahmed Husain Olarewaju, Omole Omololu, Fatai Oyerinde, Mujeeb Ibrahim and Bashir Temitope Salami, between September, 2018 and December, 2018 at Ilorin, within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court, being public officers in the service of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB) and in such capacity entrusted with a certain property to wit; the gross sum of N33,891,982.37 which sum formed part of the Kwara State SUBEB funds in account No: 0031236028 domiciled at Sterling Bank Plc, and you thereby committed the offence of criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code.”

Another charge reads: “That you, Ahmed Husain Olarewaju, Omole Omololu, Fatai Oyerinde, Mujeeb Ibrahim and Bashir Temitope Salami, between January 2019 and June, 2019 of Ilorin, within the judicial division of the Kwara State High Court, being public officers in the service of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board and in such capacity entrusted with a certain property to wit: the gross sum of N30,406,629.09 which sum formed part of the Kwara State SUBEB funds in account no: 0031236028 domiciled at Stealing Bank Plc, and you thereby Committed the offence of criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code.”

The suspects, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them, following which prosecution counsel, Andrew Akoja, asked the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Serice (NCoS), while counsels to the defendants, led by Abdullahi Lawal, made oral bail applications for their clients.

Justice Akanbi adjourned the matter to April 16, 2025, for trial and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the Correctional Centre, Ilorin.

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