The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned the immediate past governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, on charges of alleged stealing and mismanagement of public funds totalling N5.78 billion. The re-arraignment took place before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on Monday.
The former governor and his commissioner are facing a 14-count amended charge following the transfer of the previous trial judge, Justice Evelyn Anyadike, to another division of the Federal High Court. They were initially arraigned on April 29, 2024, on 12 counts before Justice Anyadike, where they pleaded not guilty.
The charges against Ahmed and Banu include allegations of misappropriating public funds intended for the security, administration, and salaries of teachers under the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). Ahmed is also accused of failing to declare his assets upon arrest, a violation of the EFCC Act.
One of the charges against the duo alleges that in January 2015, they illegally diverted N1 billion, originally allocated to SUBEB, to pay the salaries of civil servants, breaching the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. Another charge details the dishonest transfer of N990 million from the SUBEB account to Polaris Bank for loan repayment purposes, violating the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges. Their legal teams, led by Senior Advocates Kamaldeen Ajibade and Gboyega Oyewole, applied for bail, highlighting that the defendants had not violated any previous bail conditions since the case began in 2019. Justice Abdulgafar granted them bail, setting the sum at N100 million each, with two sureties, including one permanent secretary.
The trial is set to commence on December 4, 2024.