A Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has granted a N50 million bail to the embattled former governor of the state, Abdulfatah Ahmed, after he pleaded not guilty to 12 counts bordering on alleged mismanagement of public funds amounting to N10 billion.
Ahmed was arraigned before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court in Ilorin by the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday. He has been in EFCC custody since being initially invited for questioning on Monday.
Among the charges leveled against Ahmed is the alleged use of N1,610,730,500.00 meant for the security and running cost of the Kwara State Government to charter private jets for local travels through Travel Messengers Limited during his tenure as governor from 2015 to 2019.
Another charge alleges the conversion of N411 million meant for state security provision between January and December 2018.
Former Kwara State Commissioner of Finance, Ademola Banu, also faced a 10-count charge related to mismanagement of public funds during Ahmed’s administration. Banu failed to appear in court, prompting Justice Anyadike to issue a bench warrant against him.
EFCC’s lead counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, urged the court to rely on Section 83 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act to issue a summons against Banu’s surety, Salami Bashiru Ola, and/or a warrant of arrest against Banu.
In a short ruling, Justice Anyadike admitted Ahmed to bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties are required to deposit their passports with the court’s registrar, with one of them possessing a landed property in Ilorin and submitting the title documents to the Registrar of the Federal High Court.
Ahmed was ordered to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the perfection of his bail terms. The trial is set to commence on April 29th and 30th, 2024.
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