Former Kwara Governor Arraigned In Court For Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought forward charges against the immediate past Kwara State Governor, Abdulfattah Ahmed.

Ahmed was arraigned on Friday at the Federal High Court in Ilorin, the state capital.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Ahmed misappropriated the sum of N1,610,730,500.00, originally designated for the security and running costs of the state, to charter private jets during his tenure.

The charges include an alleged N10 billion fraud, with Ahmed facing a total of 12 counts.

One of the counts accused Ahmed of converting N400 million from a N1 billion short-term loan received by the Kwara State Government from Ecobank Nigeria Limited.

The EFCC contended that this conversion was done fraudulently, diverting funds intended for ongoing state projects.

The EFCC’s document stated, “Ahmed (while being the Governor of Kwara State) between 2015 and 2019 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable court used an aggregate sum of N1,610,730,500, property of Kwara State Government, meant for the security and running cost of the Government of Kwara State, to charter private jets through Travel Messengers Limited on different occasions for your local travels and which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust or theft.”

Abdulfattah Ahmed, who served as the state finance commissioner during Dr. Bukola Saraki’s governorship, succeeded Saraki in office and governed Kwara from 2011 to 2019.