EFCC Witness Testifies Against Former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed Over ₦1 Billion Loan

A witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has testified before the Kwara High Court that a former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, did not repay the ₦1 billion loan he obtained from the state’s Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

The former chairman of Kwara SUBEB, Lanre Daibu, made this statement on Thursday during proceedings before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar.

Daibu is the fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ahmed and the former commissioner for finance, Ademola Banu, who face 14 charges of alleged theft and mismanagement of public funds amounting to ₦5.78 billion.

He revealed that the ₦1 billion loan was released from the 2013 matching grant from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to pay salaries and pensioners’ allowances in January 2015.

However, he confirmed that the loan was never repaid by the state government, despite assurances that it would be returned within a month or two.

The witness explained that Banu, the second defendant in the case, had called him to request the loan to pay workers and pensioners. Daibu noted that the request was made over the phone, but he insisted that such requests must be formalized in writing for accountability.

“I called the honourable commissioner to put it into writing,” Daibu told the court, emphasizing the need for commitment from the state government regarding repayment.

He further stated, “In the letter signed on behalf of the second defendant, they promised to pay back in a month or two. However, they did not repay the loan till the board was dissolved.”

He expressed his reluctance to approve the loan, as he was fully aware that the state government had no right to borrow or spend the UBEC Matching Grant, which was intended for specific purposes outlined in the Action Plan.

During the hearing, a retired permanent secretary in the state Ministry of Finance, Benjamin Sehinde Fatigun, confirmed that Ahmed had approved the ₦1 billion loan request. Fatigun explained that the loan was meant to assist with salary payments for civil servants and retirees.

“There was an approval from the then governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, for the State Universal Basic Education Board to lend the Kwara state government the sum of ₦1 billion,” Fatigun testified.

He further detailed that the approval came from the finance commissioner, the second defendant, and that the funds were transferred to the state’s salary account.

Fatigun also confirmed that a letter had been sent from the Ministry of Finance to the Office of the Governor, outlining the challenges in paying salaries and suggesting SUBEB as a solution.

The court proceedings were adjourned to April 11, 2025, for further hearings.