Former Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his former Commissioner of Finance, Ademola Banu, were re-arraigned on Monday over alleged mismanagement of public funds amounting to N5.78 billion.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought the 14-count charge against the duo before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.
The charges against them include stealing, fraud, and breach of trust during Ahmed’s time as governor.
The re-arraignment came after the transfer of the original trial judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, to another division of the Federal High Court.
According to the EFCC, Ahmed and Banu were first arraigned in April 2024 on a 12-count charge, but the case had to start afresh due to the judge’s transfer.
Ahmed is accused of failing to declare assets to the EFCC, along with conspiring with Banu to steal public funds meant for various government projects, including teacher salaries and security infrastructure.
One of the key accusations involves Ahmed spending over N1.6 billion meant for state security and administration on private jets.
“This was money that should have gone towards essential state services, yet it was misused for private luxury,” the EFCC stated.
The EFCC alleges that Ahmed and Banu illegally diverted N1 billion from the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) matching grant account in January 2015 to pay civil servants’ salaries, an amount that was originally allocated for education projects.
“This fund was meant to improve education for the children of Kwara State,” the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, argued.
In another count, the former governor and his finance commissioner are accused of transferring nearly N1 billion from the same education grant account to Polaris Bank to repay loan facilities, a clear violation of the Universal Basic Education Act of 2004.
“These actions not only violated the law but robbed the people of Kwara State of much-needed resources for education and other critical services,” Jacobs said.
Both Ahmed and Banu pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges read out in court.
Their defense counsel, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, and Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, requested bail for the accused, arguing that the defendants had been granted administrative bail since 2019 and had never failed to appear in court.
Justice Abdulgafar granted their request, setting bail at N100 million each, with two sureties. One of the sureties must be a Permanent Secretary, either serving or retired.
The trial is set to continue on December 4 and 5, 2024.
As the case moves forward, many Nigerians will be watching closely, particularly in light of the state’s pressing needs for improved education, security, and infrastructure.
This case also highlights the continued efforts of the EFCC to hold public officials accountable for the misuse of public funds.