The Sixth Prosecution Witness, PW6, Suleiman Oluwadare Ishola in the ongoing trial of the former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, has corroborated the testimonies of earlier witnesses that the Ahmed’s administration borrowed the funds of Kwara State’s Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to offset backlog salaries of workers and pensioners in the state.
Ahmed and Banu are facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 14-count charge, bordering on stealing and mismanagement of UBEC funds in the state to the tune of N5.78 billion.
Testifying on Friday, April 11, 2025, Ishola, who served as the Accountant-General of Kwara State between 2013 and 2019, told Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin that, the sum of N1billion being a matching grant from UBEC was borrowed by the Abdulfatah administration in 2015 to pay salaries of civil servants and pensioners.
The testimony aligned with that of the former Chairman of the Kwara SUBEB, Barrister Lanre Daibu, who had on Thursday, 10 April 2025, disclosed that he received a formal request from the state government to borrow N1billion from the 2013 UBEC Matching Grant to settle outstanding salaries and pensions in the state.
Daibu stated that he initially hesitated to approve the request, knowing that UBEC funds were strictly for projects outlined in its Action Plan and not to be diverted for any other use. He, however, disclosed that the request was eventually granted but never repaid throughout his tenure
While being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, the witness stated that he received a copy of the letter conveying the governor’s approval of the loan request.
“At a point, I was copied the letter that the sum of N1billion has been borrowed from the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB. The essence of the loan was to pay salaries of civil servants and pensioners.
“I received the letter containing the approval by His Excellency, the executive governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, from the Honourable Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu,” he said.
The witness further confirmed that the N1 billion was credited to the state’s salary account in Polaris Bank Plc.
However, he said that the amount was insufficient to cover the entire wage bill, prompting the use of an additional N740 million from existing funds to meet the salary obligations.
Testifying further, the witness stated that in 2016, he received a directive from the second defendant to liquidate the loan and that the fund was subsequently repaid, as reflected in the state’s account records.
The witness also disclosed how he was invited by the EFCC, where he was presented with vouchers that indicated that another loan of N850 million (Eight Hundred Million Naira) was allegedly taken by the state government.
The matter was adjourned till June 10 and 11, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
(EFCC)
