EFCC Builds Case Against Ex-Kwara Governor Ahmed in Alleged N5.78bn Fraud Trial

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday presented additional witnesses before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, as it continues the prosecution of former Governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, over alleged N5.78 billion fraud.

During the resumed hearing before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar, the sixth prosecution witness (PW6), Suleiman Oluwadare Ishola, a former Accountant-General of the state, testified that vouchers for the disbursement of N1 billion in 2015 were prepared by officials of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

Ishola, who earlier testified on April 11, 2025, said the N1 billion was a matching grant from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) borrowed by the Ahmed administration to pay salaries and pensions. He stressed that neither Ahmed nor Banu personally authorized the vouchers or received any direct payments from the borrowed funds.

His testimony aligned with that of a former SUBEB Chairman, Barrister Lanre Daibu, who had earlier confirmed receiving formal approval from the state government to utilize the UBEC grant for salary obligations.

Under cross-examination by defence counsel J.A. Mumini (SAN) and Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), representing Ahmed and Banu respectively, Ishola stood by his statements and was subsequently discharged from the witness box.

The EFCC then called its seventh witness, Stanley Ujilibo, an Assistant Commander with the anti-graft agency and a member of the investigative team.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Ujilibo revealed that the commission commenced its investigation following a petition dated April 17, 2024, from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in Kwara State, Akande Idowu Ayoola, on behalf of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. The petition alleged the diversion of UBEC funds meant for educational infrastructure projects across the state’s 16 local government areas.

Ujilibo said the EFCC wrote to UBEC requesting necessary documentation and staff collaboration. In response, UBEC Assistant Director Hassan Abubakar provided action plans and contractor information for the 2013–2015 fiscal periods.

He explained that states are required to contribute 50% counterpart funding to access UBEC grants, and must defend their project proposals before a UBEC committee. As part of the probe, key state officials — including Lanre Daibu, Engr. Abdulsalam Olarewaju (SUBEB Director of Physical Planning), Dr. Musa Dasuki (former SUBEB Permanent Secretary), Accountant-General Ishola, and Mr. Benjamin Fatigun (then Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance) — were invited and gave voluntary statements.

The EFCC also retrieved and analyzed financial records from Polaris Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank, which managed SUBEB’s accounts, to trace the flow of the UBEC funds.

According to Ujilibo, both Ahmed and Banu were invited and gave statements voluntarily in the presence of their lawyers. Their extra-judicial statements were admitted into evidence without objection from the defence.

Justice Abdulgafar adjourned further hearing to October 16 and 17, 2025.