Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has formally arraigned the immediate past governor of Kwara State, Abdulfattah Ahmed, at the Federal High Court in Ilorin on Friday.
The anti-graft agency accused Ahmed of committing fraud totalling N10 billion during his tenure as governor from 2015 to 2019.
Among the charges brought against Ahmed, the EFCC alleges that he spent N1,610,730,500.00 meant for the security and running costs of the Kwara State Government on chartering private jets for local travels through Travel Messengers Limited.
The former governor faces 12 counts, including the fraudulent conversion of N400 million from a N1 billion short-term loan received by the Kwara State Government from Ecobank Nigeria Limited.
In the court document released, the EFCC stated, “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, 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.”
Ahmed served as the state finance commissioner during Dr. Bukola Saraki’s tenure as governor and subsequently succeeded him in office, governing Kwara State from 2011 to 2019.
