From Sola Ojo, Abuja
The trial of the former Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, over the alleged misappropriation of N5.78 billion in public funds continued on Wednesday, 12 March 2025, before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented its second witness (PW2), Dr Musa Oladimeji Dasuki, a retired Permanent Secretary at the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), who served between 2011 and 2020.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Dasuki testified that the Kwara State Government, under the leadership of the first defendant as Governor and the second defendant as Finance Commissioner, requested UBEC funds for the years 2013 and 2014 to pay teachers’ salaries.
‘The then Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, who is the second defendant in this case, initially made an oral request for the release of the 2013 UBEC Matching Grant to pay teachers’ salaries.
‘However, we insisted that such a request must be made in writing. Subsequently, the Commissioner sent a letter conveying His Excellency’s approval for the release of the funds.
‘As a result, the money was deposited into the state government’s account domiciled with Skye Bank Plc,’ said Dasuki, as quoted in a statement on Thursday by the Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Dele Oyewale.
According to Oyewale, Dasuki further explained that SUBEB initially opposed the request because they knew it would affect ongoing projects.
‘However, they eventually approved the release after receiving assurances from Banu that the funds would be repaid once the state received its allocation from Abuja,’ Oyewale said.
He further quoted Dasuki as saying, ‘A letter was written to that effect from the office of the Commissioner for Finance, signed on his behalf, and the money was released immediately upon receiving the letter.
‘According to the 2013 action plan submitted to UBEC, the funds were intended for the construction of 40 standard classroom blocks with offices, 40 VIP toilets, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres in primary and junior secondary schools across the 16 local government areas of Kwara State. However, many of these projects could not be executed because the funds had been diverted.’
Despite the assurances, Dasuki stated that the money was never repaid.
During cross-examination by Jimoh Mumini, SAN, counsel to the first defendant, Dasuki confirmed that neither the former Governor nor the Finance Commissioner was a member of SUBEB.
Justice Abdulgafar adjourned the matter until Thursday, 13 March 2025.