Ex-Aide To Kwara Governor AbdulRazaq Convicted For Fraud, Forfeits Tractors And Tricycles

The Kwara State High Court has convicted a former Special Assistant on Community Intervention to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for fraud and criminal diversion of public funds.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Haleema Saleeman ordered the final forfeiture of two tractors and two tricycles, which were found to have been illegally acquired by the ex-aide, Oyin-Zubair. The court ruled that the items were proceeds of illicit dealings tied to a transport empowerment scheme.

Investigations by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that Oyin-Zubair had approached the Self Reliance Economic Advancement Programme (SEAP) for a N192 million loan to procure 100 tricycles and 100 minibuses for transport unions in the state.

However, of the funds repaid by beneficiaries—totaling N72 million—Oyin-Zubair allegedly diverted a portion for personal use, acquiring the forfeited assets in his own name. The EFCC, represented by counsel Mustapha Kaigama, tendered documentary evidence and witness testimonies linking the tractors and tricycles—discovered in a warehouse on Fate Road, Ilorin—to the misappropriated funds.

Justice Saleeman dismissed an application by the defence seeking to vacate an earlier interim forfeiture order, ruling that the defence failed to justify ownership of the assets. She affirmed that the EFCC had satisfactorily proved that the items were products of unlawful enrichment.

The court subsequently granted a final forfeiture of the assets—estimated at N57.4 million—to SEAP, the original source of the diverted funds.

In response to the judgment, the EFCC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public resources, vowing that political affiliation will not shield anyone from accountability under the law.