EFCC arraigns ex-Kwara Governor Ahmed for N10bn fraud Friday

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has concluded arrangements to arraign the former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, for alleged N10 billion fraud on Friday, February 23, 2024.

The Star had reported that the EFCC, on Monday, February 19, grilled Ahmed over transactions running into billions of naira during his time as governor of the state.

Ahmed, who served as governor of Kwara State between May 2011 and May 2019, was quizzed at the office of the anti-graft agency in Ilorin, the state capital.

The former governor has since remained in the custody of the EFCC after honouring the invitation of the anti-graft agency for interrogation.

However, it was gathered that the EFCC would arraign Ahmed before the Federal High Court in Ilorin on Friday.

“He is going to be arraigned on Friday at the Federal High Court in Ilorin for diversion of funds, amounting to N10 billion,” a source told Punch.

EFCC grills ex-Kwara Governor Ahmed

Also speaking on the development, the former governor’s Chief Press Secretary, AbdulWahab Oba, said Ahmed’s summon by the EFCC was only “procedural and routine”.

“He was invited and he honoured them as he’s always done. He’s always ready to respond to any query or question regarding his tenure as a governor of the state,” Oba said.

He, however, lamented that the EFCC has yet to release his principal, saying he was given stringent bail conditions.

He said: “He is still with the EFCC and we are now in a dilemma over the issue because they keep changing the goalpost during the match. The case is taking a new dimension, which we don’t really understand for now.

“Initially they said they wanted him to produce two sureties who are federal directors. The sureties came and were asked to provide landed properties in Abuja. We see this as a contradiction.

“The case was initially handled by the EFCC office in Abuja before it was transferred to Ilorin over the issue of jurisdiction. Additionally, he has been denied access to his doctors, medication and direct access to his cook.”

This is not the first time Ahmed has been grilled by the anti-graft agency.

He was quizzed in May 2021 by the EFCC in Abuja over the alleged diversion of funds to the tune of about N9 billion from the coffers of the Kwara State Government.

The money was alleged to have been diverted during Ahmed’s tenure as governor of the state and when he served as the Commissioner for Finance in the administration of former Governor Bukola Saraki.

The Star