From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Fresh details have emerged in the ongoing trial of former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his former Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu, as a former Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Barrister Lanre Daibu, revealed how N1 billion meant for basic education was diverted to pay salaries and pensions.
Testifying before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Daibu, who appeared as the fourth prosecution witness, said the money was taken from the 2013 UBEC Matching Grant fund in January 2015 based on instructions from Banu.
According to him, “The second defendant, Banu, called me on the phone and said the State Government needed funds to pay salaries and pensions. But I insisted that the request must come in writing.”
He told the court that the board demanded a written commitment from the government indicating when the money would be refunded.
“In the letter signed on behalf of the second defendant, there was a promise to repay within one or two months. Unfortunately, the refund never came before the board was eventually dissolved.”
Daibu said he initially resisted approving the N1 billion loan because he was aware that UBEC funds were strictly meant for basic education projects.
“I was reluctant to grant the request because I knew the funds were not meant for salary payments. But the Ministry of Finance presented an approval from the then governor,” he added.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, and Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, the witness clarified that neither Ahmed nor Banu were signatories to the SUBEB account. “The Permanent Secretary and the Director of Administration and Human Resources were the official signatories,” he stated.
Another prosecution witness, Benjamin Fatigun, a retired Permanent Secretary in the Kwara State Ministry of Finance, also testified on Thursday.
Fatigun corroborated Daibu’s claims, saying: “There was a written approval from the then Governor that SUBEB should lend N1 billion to the state government to address salary and pension issues. The fund was released following the directive from the Commissioner for Finance.”
He further explained that the Ministry of Finance informed the governor through a letter about the challenges in meeting salary obligations, and SUBEB was suggested as a temporary funding source. “I narrated everything in my statement to the EFCC, including how the funds were moved,” he said.
The trial, involving allegations of N5.78 billion fraud, continued today Friday, April 11, 2025.
