The legal proceedings against the former Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, along with his ex-Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Ademola Banu, resumed this Monday at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin. Presiding over the session is Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar. Both Ahmed and Banu are being prosecuted for the alleged diversion of ₦5.78 billion in state funds. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has leveled serious charges against them, accusing the duo of colluding to siphon off public funds designated for essential services, notably the payment of teachers’ salaries and the improvement of infrastructure in primary and junior secondary schools across Kwara State. According to the EFCC’s accusations, the diverted funds originated from grants provided by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to the Kwara State Government between 2013 and 2015. A substantial portion of the ₦5 billion released for educational infrastructure projects during this period was allegedly misappropriated. An investigative report from the UBEC Projects Monitoring Committee further intensifies these allegations. The report revealed that 51 school projects, which had been approved under the 2013 Action Plan, were left incomplete and abandoned due to an alleged lack of funds—despite the fact that UBEC had fully disbursed the necessary finances for their completion. The ongoing trial, initially commenced on December 4, 2024, has already featured testimony from the EFCC’s first witness, Abubakar Hassan, who serves as the Assistant Director of Finance at UBEC. During his testimony, Hassan confirmed that the funds intended for educational development in the state were indeed misappropriated. The court had scheduled to proceed further on Monday with the testimony of another prosecution witness, Alhaji Suleiman Oluwadare Ishola, the former Accountant General of Kwara State. His testimony is expected to shed additional light on the alleged financial malfeasance and clarify the extent of the misappropriation that occurred under the former administration. This high-profile case has attracted significant public attention, as it reflects the broader challenges of accountability and transparency in the management of public funds in Nigeria.
