EFCC re-arraigns Ahmed, ex-Kwara governor, over ‘N5.78bn fraud’

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Abdulfatah Ahmed, a former governor of Kwara state, over allegations of fraud. 

Ahmed was re-arraigned alongside Demola Banu, a former commissioner for finance, on Monday before Mahmood Abdulgafar, the presiding judge of a Kwara state high court, on a 14-count charge bordering on alleged stealing and mismanagement of public funds to the tune of N5.78 billion.

Their re-arraignment was due to the transfer of the former trial judge Evelyn Anyadike of the federal high court.

The defendants were first arraigned on a 12-count charge of mismanagement of public funds before Anyadike, to which they pleaded not guilty.

However, the judge was transferred in the course of trial. Hence, the case had to start de-novo.

While Ahmed featured in all 14 counts, Banu’s name did not appear in count seven, where only the former governor was accused of failure to fill out the asset declaration form offered him by officers of the anti-graft agency upon arrest, contrary to section 27(3)(c) of the EFCC Act No. 1 of 2004.

The former governor allegedly spent N1,610,730,500 meant for the security and administration of the state to charter private jets through Travel Messengers Limited, contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, and punishable under the same section.

Ahmed and his finance commissioner were accused of conspiring to steal money meant to pay salaries of teachers working with the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board and also to provide security and other infrastructural facilities for the people of the state, among others.

The duo pleaded not guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them.

Ruling on the bail applications, the presiding judge admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties each.

One of the sureties must be a permanent secretary serving or retired.

The judge adjourned the case till December 4–5 for commencement of trial.