The Fourth Prosecution Witness, PW4, Lanre Daibu, in the trial of former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu on Thursday told Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin that Banu directed the release of the sum of N1billion from the 2013 Matching Grant fund of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, for the purpose of payment of salaries of teachers and pensioners in the state in January 2015 and did not repay it until the Board was dissolved.
Ahmed and Banu are facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on amended 14-count charge, bordering on stealing and mismanagement of UBEC funds in the state to the tune of N5.78billion.
EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale said in a press statement.
According to the statement, Daibu, former Chairman, Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN said, “My lord, the second defendant, Banu, called me on phone that the state government needed money to pay salaries of its workforce and pensioners. The Board sat on the issue and concluded that such requests must be in writing and not telephone conversation. I, therefore, called the Honourable Commissioner to put it into writing.
“The reason we insisted that such a request should be in writing was to ensure that we get commitment from the state government as to when they are going to pay back the loan. 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.”
The case was adjourned till Friday, April 11, 2025 for further hearing.
