Ex-Gov Abdulfatah Ahmed, Demola Banu Asked To Return To Court Dec 3 After Getting Re-arraigned In Ilorin
Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of the Kwara state High Court, Ilorin submitted on Monday that the trial of the immediate past governor of Kwara state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his Finance commissioner, Hon Demola Banu will begin on December 3, 2024.
This was sequel to their rearraignment on Monday, and the two former top government functionaries are facing fraud charges.
They have been accused of allegedly diverting over N3 billion public fund.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) , had in February this year filed charges against the former governor and the former Commissioner for Finance over offences bordering on alleged money laundering.
A definitive decision had not been taken on this at the Federal High Court, Ilorin before the anti-graft agency discontinued the case a few days ago and got them re-arraigned on Monday and this time around, EFCC has opted for the state High Court.
Alhaji Ahmed and Hon Banu pleaded not guilty to charges contained in the charging document on Monday while Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar later set the former governor’s bail at N 100 million ditto the former commissioner while adding that one of their sureties must also be a serving or retired Permanent Secretary.
In an interview with journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com , counsel for EFCC , Mr Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, submitted that the former governor and the former commissioner getting re-arraigned and the decision to choose the state High Court was as a result of conclusion of investigation into other aspects of the allegations made against them and the need to ensure that they are not made to shuttle from one court to another.
‘COUNT 1
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), on or about 14 January, 2015 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally spend the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) to pay Salaries of civil servants in Kwara State which sum was originally domiciled in the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account and which sum formed part of the funds allocated for the execution of the projects stated in the action plan for the year 2013 and approved by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 2
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), on or about 14th January, 2015 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in such capacity having dominion over certain property, to wit: the sum of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum, when you dishonestly transferred the said sum from the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account into the Kwara State Pension Salary account domiciled with Polaris Bank for the payment of salaries of civil servants in Kwara State contrary to the direction of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 315 of the Criminal Code and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 3
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), between 25th July, 2016 and 7th September, 2016 in llorin, within the jurisdiction of this. Honourable Court, did illegally spend an aggregate sum of N990,545,883.64 (Nine Hundred and Ninety Million, Five Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Eighty Hundred and Eighty-Three Naira and Sixty- Four Kobo) to pay Salaries of civil servants in Kwara State which sun was originally domiciled in the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account and which sum formed part of the funds allocated for the execution of the projects stated in the action plan for the year 2014 and approved by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act. 2000 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 4
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), between 25th July, 2016 and 7th September, 2016 in llorin, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in such capacity having dominion over certain property, to wit; the sum of N990,545,883.64 (Nine Hundred and Ninety Million, Five Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Eighty Hundred and Eighty-Three Naira and Sixty-Four Kobo), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum, when you dishonestly transferred the said sum from the Kwara SUBEB Matching Grant account into Polaris Bank for the repayment of loan facilities granted to the Kwara State Government by the said bank contrary to the direction of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 315 of the Criminal Code and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 5
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), on or about 22 September, 2016 in florin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally spend the sum of N876,756,756.76 (Eight Hundred and Seventy-Six Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Six Naira and Seventy-Six Kobo) to pay Salaries of civil servants in Kwara State which sum was originally domiciled in the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Matching Grant account and which sum formed part of the funds allocated for the execution of the projects stated in the action plan for the year 2015 and approved by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 6
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), on or about 22 September, 2016 in llorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in such capacity having dominion over certain property. to wit; the sum of N876,756,756.76 (Eight Hundred and Seventy-Six Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Six Naira and Seventy-Six Kobo), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum, when you dishonestly transferred the said sum from the Kwara SUBEB Matching Grant account into Kwara State Govemment Central account with Guaranty Trust Bank for the payment of contracts awarded by Kwara State Government, contrary to the direction of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 315 of the Criminal Code and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 7
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED on 19th February, 2024 in llorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court failed to make a declaration in the Assets Declaration Form supplied to you by the officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission after your arrest and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 27(3)(c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act No. 1 of 2004 and punishable under section 27(3) of the same Act.
COUNT 8
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), sometime in 2019 in llorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in such capacity having dominion over certain property, to wit, the sum of N400,000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million Naira), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum, when you dishonestly converted the said sum being part of the loan obtained by Kwara State Government from Ecobank Nigeria Limited for the purpose of completing some then ongoing projects in Kwara State, for part-payment for chattering private jets through Travel Messengers Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 315 of the Criminal Code and punishable under the same section
COUNT 9
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), between 25th July, 2016 and 7th September, 2016 in florin, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally transferred the sum of N400,000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million Naira), to Travel Messengers Limited for chattering private jets, for your own use and which sum formed part of the N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira), short-term loan obtained by the Kwara State Government for the purpose of completing some on-going projects in Kwara State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 10
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), between January and December, 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in such capacity having dominion over certain property, to wit: the sum of N411,000,000.00 (Four Hundred and Eleven Million Naira), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum, when you dishonestly converted the said sum being part of the fund for the provision of security in Kwara State for part-payment for chattering private jets for your own use through Travel Messengers Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 315 of the Criminal Code and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 11
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), between January and December, 2018 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally transferred an aggregate sum of N411,000,000.00 (Four Hundred and Eleven Million Naira), to Travel Messengers Limited for chattering private jets, for your own use and which sum formed part of the funds meant for the provision of security in Kwara State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section..
COUNT 12
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), on or about 16 April, 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in such capacity having dominion over certain property, to wit the sum of N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira), committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said sum, when you dishonestly converted the said sum being part of the fund for the provision of security in Kwara State for part-payment for chattering private jets for your own use through Travel Messengers Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 315 of the Criminal Code and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 13
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), on or about 16 April, 2018, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally transferred an aggregate sum of N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira), to Travel Messengers Limited for chattering private jets, for your own use and which sum formed part of the funds meant for the provision of security in Kwara State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 14
That you, ABDULFATAH AHMED (while being the Governor of Kwara State) and ADEMOLA BANU (while being the Commissioner of Finance of Kwara State), between 2015 and 2019 in llorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did illegally transferred an aggregate sum of N1,610,730,500.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Ten Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred Naira), to Travel Messengers Limited for chattering private jets, for your own use and which sum formed part of the funds meant for the security and running cost of the Government of Kwara State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 22(5) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under the same section’ EFCC submitted in the charging document-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
