The trial of former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, over the alleged diversion of N5.78bn belonging to the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, resumed on Monday, July 27, 2026, with the continuation of cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness, Stanley Ujilibo, before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
Ahmed and Banu are being prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on charges bordering on the alleged diversion of SUBEB funds.
Ujilibo, an operative of the EFCC, had testified at the previous sitting on June 17, 2026, that the former governor approved a request to obtain a N1bn loan from the state’s SUBEB counterpart fund to offset workers’ salaries.
According to him, the approval followed a request by the then commissioner for finance, Banu, a move he described as being contrary to the statutory purpose for which the SUBEB funds were released.
At the resumed sitting today, during further cross-examination by counsel for the first defendant, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), Ujilibo maintained that the 2013, 2014 and 2015 SUBEB intervention projects were to be executed solely by the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board under the supervision and monitoring of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Abuja, in line with the approved action plan.
He stressed that the projects were not state government projects.
The witness further disclosed that the petition which led to the investigation and eventual prosecution originated from the then Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Ayoola Idowu.
When asked whether the former DPP was a beneficiary of the N1bn allegedly borrowed from the SUBEB fund by the Kwara State Government, the PW6 said he could not confirm whether or not Idowu benefited from the funds, noting that he was a civil servant at the time.
Responding to questions from counsel for the second defendant, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), on whether Banu, as finance commissioner, was a member of the SUBEB Board, a signatory to the board’s accounts, or a signatory to documents relating to the SUBEB funds, Ujilibo confirmed that although the former commissioner was neither a member of the board nor a signatory to its account, he actively signed documents requesting the release of funds for SUBEB as well as documents seeking the N1bn loan from the SUBEB fund.
He added that the documents had already been tendered before the court.
Following the conclusion of the witness’s cross-examination by the defence, the prosecution counsel, Adebisi Adeniyi, from the chambers of Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), informed the court that the next prosecution witness, a banker, was unavailable because he was testifying before another court.
He consequently sought an adjournment, which was granted without objection.
Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar thereafter discharged PW6 and adjourned the matter until November 9, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
The trial of former Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, and his Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, over the alleged diversion of N5.78bn belonging to the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, resumed on Monday, July 27, 2026, with the continuation of cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness, Stanley Ujilibo, before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin.
Ahmed and Banu are being prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on charges bordering on the alleged diversion of SUBEB funds.
Ujilibo, an operative of the EFCC, had testified at the previous sitting on June 17, 2026, that the former governor approved a request to obtain a N1bn loan from the state’s SUBEB counterpart fund to offset workers’ salaries.
According to him, the approval followed a request by the then commissioner for finance, Banu, a move he described as being contrary to the statutory purpose for which the SUBEB funds were released.
At the resumed sitting today, during further cross-examination by counsel for the first defendant, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), Ujilibo maintained that the 2013, 2014 and 2015 SUBEB intervention projects were to be executed solely by the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board under the supervision and monitoring of the Universal Basic Education Commission, Abuja, in line with the approved action plan.
He stressed that the projects were not state government projects.
The witness further disclosed that the petition which led to the investigation and eventual prosecution originated from the then Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Ayoola Idowu.
When asked whether the former DPP was a beneficiary of the N1bn allegedly borrowed from the SUBEB fund by the Kwara State Government, the PW6 said he could not confirm whether or not Idowu benefited from the funds, noting that he was a civil servant at the time.
Responding to questions from counsel for the second defendant, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), on whether Banu, as finance commissioner, was a member of the SUBEB Board, a signatory to the board’s accounts, or a signatory to documents relating to the SUBEB funds, Ujilibo confirmed that although the former commissioner was neither a member of the board nor a signatory to its account, he actively signed documents requesting the release of funds for SUBEB as well as documents seeking the N1bn loan from the SUBEB fund.
He added that the documents had already been tendered before the court.
Following the conclusion of the witness’s cross-examination by the defence, the prosecution counsel, Adebisi Adeniyi, from the chambers of Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), informed the court that the next prosecution witness, a banker, was unavailable because he was testifying before another court.
He consequently sought an adjournment, which was granted without objection.
Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar thereafter discharged PW6 and adjourned the matter until November 9, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.