Alleged Misuse Of Funds: Court Grants Bail To Ex-Gov Abdulfatah Ahmed In Ilorin ..Case Adjourned Until April 29

Former governor of Kwara state , Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, was on Friday granted bail by the  Federal High Court, Ilorin, Kwara state.

Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who was arraigned on Friday morning, had pleaded not guilty to charges contained in the charging document.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ,  had filed charges against  the former governor and Hon   Ademola Banu , who served as Commissioner for Finance during his administration, over offences bordering  on alleged money laundering.

‘That you, Abdulfatah 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 N1,610,730,500.00 (One Billion, Six Hundred and Ten Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) 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 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(a) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.

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) sometime in 2019, in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N400,000,000.00 (Four Hundred Million Naira) out of the N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) short-term loan obtained by the Kwara State Government from Ecobank Nigeria Limited for the purpose of completing some then ongoing projects and which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceed of your unlawful Act, to wit: criminal breach of trust/theft and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.

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 January and December 2018 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired between yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: Conversion of the sum of N411,000,000.00 (Four Hundred and Eleven Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known was a proceed of an unlawful act, to wit; theft/fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

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) on or about 31st January, 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N70,000,000.00 (Seventy Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government, meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: theft or fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

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 28th February, 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N32,000,000.00 (Thirty-Two Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government, meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: theft or fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

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 4th April, 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N32,000,000.00 (Thirty-Two Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government, meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: theft or fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

COUNT 7

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 16th April, 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N100,000,000.00 (One Hundred Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government, meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: theft or fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15(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) on or about 3rd May, 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N27,000,000.00 (Twenty-Seven Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government, meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: theft or fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

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) on or about 30th July, 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government, meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: theft or fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

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) on or about 2nd August, 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government, meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: theft or fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

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) on or about 8th November 2018 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly converted the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) property of Kwara State Government, meant for the provision of security in Kwara State, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: theft or fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under section 15(3) of the same Act.

COUNT 12

That you, Abdulfatah Ahmed on 19th February, 2024 in Ilorin 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 EFCC 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’ the prosecutor  had submitted in the charging document.

The former governor had visited the  Ilorin Zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) , on Monday February 19, on their invitation and he was kept in custody until his arraignment on Friday.

 Alhaji Ahmed’s Counsel ,  Barrister Kehinde Eleja,  a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, later made an oral application asking the court to grant bail to  the first defendant.

This  was however opposed by the EFCC prosecutor , Rotimi  Jabob, a SENIOR Advocate of Nigeria,  submitting  that such an application should have been made formal and left at the discretion of the court.

He also argued that the 1st defendant being a former governor may interfere with  investigation because according to him,  ‘many of the witnesses that would be called to testify against him  were his subordinates’.

Eleja  however submitted  that ‘denying the first defendant bail will amount to subjecting him to pre- trial punishments adding that he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise by the court.

He also asked the court to consider the fact that the former governor had voluntarily  honoured EFCC’s invitation on 19 February.

He said contrary to the submission of the EFCC prosecutor, investigation into the matter had been concluded  hence his arraignment.

Justice Evelyn  Ayandike , who presided over the court session,  later granted bail to the 1st defendant .

The  judge set the former governor’s bail at N50million and 2 sureties in like sum.

‘The sureties must submit three passport photographs each including the defendant. 

One of the sureties must be owner of landed property within Ilorin . 

The original title documents of the land must be submitted to the court registry. 

The sureties must swear to an affidavit before the court and must show evidence of payment of electricity bills in the last three months  to show that they are residents of Ilorin. 

The N50 million must be paid into the court litigation account in liquidity .

The 1st defendant must deposit his international passport with the court , if the passport is in the EFCC, custody, the EFCC should surrender it to the court.   

If the 1st defendant has reason to travel abroad, he shall apply formally to the court . If he is travelling for a medical trip, he must state the reasons for traveling and why  his medical condition cannot be treated in the country. 

The defendant shall remain in EFCC custody pending the fulfillment of his bail conditions’ Justice Evelyn  submitted. 

The case was subsequently  adjourned until  April 29 and 30th for  commencement of trial .

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the court session started at 9am and the  former governor did not leave the court premises  until about 12.34 pm.

Kwara state PDP bigwigs, and friends  including former rep Amuda Kanike, Alhaji Jimoh Adesina, Alhaji Musa Abdulahi , Hon  Abdulrahman Kayode (State Secretary), Hon  Olusegun Samuel Asewara  (State Publicity Secretary) ,Chief Gabriel Afolabi, Alhaji Toyin Olokoba, Alhaji Wahab Oba , Alhaji Saka Babatunde, Hon Lukman Owolewa, were at the Federal High Court in solidarity with Alhaji Ahmed.

Party supporters and sympathizers were also there-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. Thank you