The trial of former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, over the alleged diversion of ₦5.78 billion belonging to the State Universal Basic Education Board was stalled on Monday following the absence of two prosecution witnesses.
Ahmed and Banu are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin over allegations that funds meant for basic education projects were diverted, including for the payment of salaries of workers in the state.
At the resumed proceedings, the court briefly continued the cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness, Stanley Ujilibo, whose testimony had been carried over from the previous sitting.
Following the conclusion of the day’s cross-examination, prosecution counsel Adebisi Adeniyi informed the court that the next two witnesses scheduled to testify were unavoidably absent.
Adeniyi consequently sought an adjournment, assuring the court that the witnesses would be available to give evidence at the next sitting.
Before the adjournment request, Ujilibo was cross-examined by Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, lead counsel to Ahmed, on the circumstances surrounding the petition that triggered the EFCC investigation.
Ajibade asked the witness whether Ayoola Idowu, the civil servant who reportedly petitioned the EFCC over the alleged diversion, also benefited from the SUBEB funds when they were allegedly used to pay the salaries of state workers.
Ujilibo told the court that he could not confirm whether Idowu received any portion of the funds as salary.
The witness was subsequently cross-examined by Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, counsel to Banu, on whether there was any document showing that the former finance commissioner requested that money be borrowed from the SUBEB fund.
Ujilibo could not identify any document showing that Banu, in his capacity as Commissioner for Finance, wrote to request a loan from the education fund.
When asked to examine the exhibits already admitted before the court, the witness identified a letter written by Banu to the former governor requesting that the state government pay its counterpart contribution to SUBEB.
Oyewole, however, pointed out that the letter concerned the payment of the state’s counterpart funding obligation and did not contain any request to borrow money from SUBEB.
Ujilibo then referred the court to another letter among the exhibits which mentioned borrowing from the fund.
Under further questioning, however, the witness acknowledged that the second letter was signed by another person and not by Banu.
The defence lawyers did not oppose the prosecution’s request for an adjournment following the absence of its remaining witnesses.
Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar consequently adjourned further proceedings in the case until November 9, 2026, for the continuation of trial.
Ahmed and Banu have denied the allegations against them and are presumed innocent unless found guilty by the court.
