A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has revealed that N1 billion from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Matching Grant was diverted to pay salaries and pensions in 2015 — a sum that was never refunded.
The revelation was made on Thursday at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, where the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Ahmed on 14 counts bordering on alleged misappropriation and theft of N5.78 billion UBEC funds.
According to a statement by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the fourth prosecution witness, Mr. Lanre Daibu — who served as Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) at the time — disclosed that the then Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, initially requested the N1bn loan via a phone call.
Daibu testified that the board insisted on a formal letter to document the request and secure repayment of the funds.
“Though they promised to repay the loan within one or two months, the N1bn was never refunded until the board was dissolved,” Daibu said while being led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).
He further stated that he was hesitant to approve the loan because UBEC funds are statutorily designated for basic education infrastructure, not salary payments. Eventually, the board received an official letter — marked as Exhibit 4 — from the Ministry of Finance, bearing the governor’s approval.
The fifth prosecution witness, Mr. Benjamin Fatigun, a retired permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance, corroborated Daibu’s testimony. He confirmed that the diversion of funds was made following the governor’s approval, after the ministry formally communicated the state’s financial difficulties.
“There was an official letter from the Ministry of Finance to the governor detailing the state’s inability to pay salaries. The letter suggested borrowing from SUBEB, and the governor gave the go-ahead. The fund was then transferred to the state’s salary account,” Fatigun told the court.
During cross-examination by defence counsels Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) and Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), Fatigun reiterated that the loan was obtained with full approval from the then-governor amid a dire financial crisis.
