Ex-Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed Allegedly Diverted N5bn Education Funds, Promised Repayment – EFCC Witness Testifies

A key witness in the ongoing trial of former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has revealed that the ex-governor assured officials he would repay over N5 billion in education funds allegedly diverted by his administration.

Ahmed, who led Kwara State from 2011 to 2019, was re-arraigned alongside Ademola Banu, former commissioner for finance, before Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of the Federal High Court in Ilorin. The duo faces a 14-count charge of alleged misappropriation and theft of public funds amounting to N5.78 billion.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the accused conspired to siphon money allocated to the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). These funds were earmarked for critical education projects under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) action plan.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges when they were read in court.

At Wednesday’s hearing, an EFCC witness, Dasuki, a retired permanent secretary at Kwara SUBEB who served from 2011 to 2020, testified that the state government under Ahmed’s leadership diverted the education funds to pay teachers’ salaries instead of using them for the intended projects.

Dasuki stated that Ademola Banu, then finance commissioner, initially made an oral request for the release of the 2013 UBEC Matching Grant. However, SUBEB insisted that the request be formalized in writing.

“Subsequently, the commissioner sent a letter conveying His Excellency’s approval for the release of the funds,” Dasuki told the court. “As a result, the money was deposited into the state government’s account with Skye Bank Plc.”

Despite initial resistance from SUBEB officials, the funds were eventually released after Banu provided assurances that the money would be repaid once the state received its federal allocation. However, Dasuki testified that the funds were never returned, leaving multiple projects uncompleted.

The funds were intended for the construction of 40 classroom blocks with offices, 40 VIP toilets, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centers in primary and junior secondary schools across all 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State. Due to the alleged diversion, many of these projects never materialized, and contractors who completed some of the work were left unpaid.

“Many contractors protested because they had not been paid for the projects they completed,” Dasuki added.

During cross-examination, Jimoh Mumini, counsel to Ahmed, pointed out that neither the former governor nor the finance commissioner was a direct member of SUBEB, seemingly challenging their level of direct responsibility over the board’s finances.