21st February, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Some protesters have besieged the Ilorin zonal command office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over the continued detention of a former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The anti-graft agency is holding the former governor over an alleged diversion of over N10 billion.
Ahmed’s detention at the EFCC Ilorin office entered a third day on Wednesday, February 21.
The protest which commenced in the morning, ended at about 12:23 pm after an EFCC official, Micheal Nzekwe, addressed the protesters.
The former governor had earlier lamented not having access to his medical doctors and personal cooks in the custody of the EFCC.
The former governor said these in a statement issued in Ilorin on Tuesday night by his spokesman, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba and made available to journalists.
He blamed the agency for continuing to detain him despite fulfilling all his bail conditions without any justification.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it was planning to charge Abdulfatah Ahmed before a Federal High Court in Ilorin over an alleged diversion of over N10billion.
The former governor was grilled at Ilorin Command Office to answer questions regarding an allegation of Billions of Naira during his tenure on Monday.
The commission had discovered that some funds belonging to the state were misappropriated and diverted by Ahmed’s government and Saraki’s government in which he served as the Commissioner for Finance.
Ahmed was appointed as the Commissioner for Finance in Kwara after Saraki assumed office as governor in 2003.
He also served as the treasurer of the Forum of Commissioners of Finance in Nigeria and the Chairman of the Budget Formulation Committee and Economic Team of Kwara State.
In the build-up to the 2011 general elections, Ahmed contested and won the primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He won the Kwara governorship seat and re-election after succeeding Saraki, who also won the election to represent Kwara Central senatorial district in the National Assembly after completing two terms as governor.
Ahmed left office in 2019 and was succeeded by the incumbent governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who won on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In 2021, a team of EFCC operatives questioned Ahmed at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in the Jabi area of Abuja, concerning an alleged diversion of funds, amounting to N9bn, from the coffers of the Kwara State government.
Ahmed’s Chief Press Secretary confirmed his visit to the EFCC office.
“Dr Ahmed’s visit to the EFCC is procedural and routine. He was invited and he honoured them as he’s always done. He’s always ready to respond to any query or question regarding his tenure as a governor of the state.
So, there’s nothing unusual about the invitation and his honouring the anti-graft agency,” Oba said.