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EFCC Re-Arraigns Former Kwara Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed Over ₦5.78 Billion Fraud Charges

Published by Tope Fakinlede on October 22nd, 2024.

EFCC Re-Arraigns Former Kwara Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed Over ₦5.78 Billion Fraud Charges

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and Finance Commissioner Ademola Banu on Monday, October 21, 2024, for their alleged involvement in the mismanagement of ₦5.78 billion in public funds. The new 14-count amended charges were presented before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, including serious allegations of theft and improper handling of funds intended for salaries, security, and infrastructure.

This re-arraignment comes after the original trial judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, was transferred, necessitating a restart of the case. Ahmed and Banu had previously pleaded not guilty to a 12-count charge on April 29, 2024.

Key allegations include:

Misappropriation of Funds: The defendants are accused of improperly utilizing ₦1 billion from the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account to pay civil servants’ salaries, in violation of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.

Breach of Trust: They allegedly moved ₦990.5 million from the SUBEB account to Polaris Bank for loan repayment, contravening the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act.

Failure to Declare Assets: Ahmed faces allegations of not submitting an asset declaration form required by the EFCC during his arrest, breaching the EFCC Act.

Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their attorneys, Kamaldeen Ajibade and Gboyega Oyewole, sought bail, referencing their compliance with administrative bail conditions since 2019. Justice Abdulgafar granted bail set at ₦100 million, requiring two sureties, one of whom must be a serving or retired permanent secretary.

The trial is scheduled to begin on December 4-5, 2024.