The trial of former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, over the alleged diversion of N5.78 billion in State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, funds was adjourned on Monday after two prosecution witnesses failed to appear before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.
Ahmed and Banu are facing prosecution over allegations that more than N5.78 billion belonging to the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board was diverted for the payment of salaries of state civil servants. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting both defendants on the charges.
At Monday’s proceedings, the prosecution concluded the cross-examination of its witness, Stanley Ujilibo, whose testimony had continued from the previous sitting.
Following the cross-examination, prosecution counsel, Adebisi Adeniyi, informed the court that the next two witnesses were unavoidably absent and requested an adjournment, assuring the court that they would be available at the next hearing.
During cross-examination by Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, counsel to the first defendant, Ahmed, Ujilibo said he could not confirm whether Ayoola Idowu, a civil servant who petitioned the EFCC over the alleged diversion of the funds, benefited from the payments made to state workers.
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Ajibade had asked whether Idowu, as a state employee, received salary payments from the funds that were allegedly diverted.
Under cross-examination by Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, counsel to the second defendant, Banu, the witness also admitted he could not identify any document showing that Banu, as Commissioner for Finance, requested to borrow money from the SUBEB fund.
After reviewing the exhibits before the court, Ujilibo identified a letter written by Banu to Ahmed requesting that the state government pay its counterpart funding into the SUBEB account.
When Oyewole pointed out that the letter related to the payment of counterpart funds rather than borrowing, the witness identified another document referring to borrowing. However, he acknowledged that the letter was signed by another official and not by Banu.
The defence did not oppose the prosecution’s application for an adjournment. Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Abdulgafar Mahmoud, adjourned the case until Nov. 9, 2026.
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