October 21, (THEWILL) – The Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, has fixed December 3, 2024, for commencement of trial in a 15-count charge against former Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, over alleged diversion of N5.7 billion public fund.
Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar fixed the date after the former governor and a Finance Commissioner in his administration, Demola Banu, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail in the sum of N100 million each.
According to the charge sheet prepared by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the former governor is facing trial for diverting Universal Basic Education (UBEC) fund to other purposes.
Former governor Abdulfatah, among sundry issues allegedly spent an aggregate sum of N1,610,730,500.00, meant for the security and administration of the state to charter private jets through Travel Messengers Limited, contrary to Section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
While the name of the ex-governor featured in all the 14 counts, Banu’s name did not appear in count seven where only Ahmed was accused of failure to fill assets declaration form offered him by officers of the EFCC upon arrest contrary to Section 27(3)(c) of the EFCC Act No. 1 of 2004.
Count one of the of the charges against Ahmed reads: “That you, Abdulfatah Ahmed (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and Ademola Banu (while being the commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), on or about 14 January, 2015 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally spend the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) to pay salaries of civil servants in Kwara State which sum was originally domiciled in the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account and which sum formed part of the funds allocated for the execution of the projects stated in the action plan for the year 2013 and approved by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
Count four read, “That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), between 25th July, 2016 and 7th September, 2016 in llorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, in such capacity having dominion over certain property, to wit; the sum of N990,545,883.64 committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum, when you dishonestly transferred the said sum from the Kwara SUBEB matching grant account into Polaris Bank for the repayment of loan facilities granted to the Kwara State Government by the said bank contrary to the direction of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Criminal Code and punishable under the same section.”
The former governor and Banu were first arraigned on a 12-count charge of mismanagement of public funds before Justice Anyadike on April 29, 2024, to which they pleaded not guilty.
Speaking with newsmen on Monday, EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said the re-arraignment of the former governor from the Federal High Court to the State High Court, was as a result of conclusion of investigation into other aspects of the allegations and to prevent moving from one court to another.
