Court adjourns trial of ex-Kwara governor Abdulfatah Ahmed

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has adjourned until February 16, 2026, the trial of a former governor of the state, Abdulfatah Ahmed, over the alleged diversion of ₦5.78 billion.

Ahmed is standing trial alongside his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, following charges brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar, the sixth prosecution witness, identified as Ujilibo, told the court that the EFCC, during its investigation, obtained bank statements relating to loans allegedly secured by the Kwara State Government to pay teachers’ salaries under the State Universal Basic Education Board.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the witness explained that the anti-graft agency wrote to several banks requesting statements of accounts connected to SUBEB funds and Universal Basic Education Commission matching grants. The documents were subsequently tendered and admitted as exhibits.

However, proceedings were stalled following a disagreement between the prosecution and defence counsel, Kamaldeen Ajibade, over the arrangement of the documents served on the defence and tendered in court.

Ajibade argued that the documents presented differed from those earlier served on the defence, adding that they were neither paginated nor properly arranged to enable the defendants to respond effectively. The prosecution disagreed, maintaining that the same documents had been served and that it was not the responsibility of the prosecution to organise them for the defence.

The disagreement led the court to adjourn the matter to allow both parties to properly arrange the documents.

In his ruling, Justice Abdulgafar said the adjournment was necessary due to the improper organisation of the documents, fixing February 16, 2026, for the continuation of trial.

Speaking after the proceedings, Ajibade described the situation as unacceptable in a criminal trial, insisting that the prosecution ought to have properly prepared and served its proof of evidence.

“This is a criminal matter and not an ambush. What was served on us was not properly highlighted to guide us during tendering,” he said.

On his part, Jacobs maintained that the EFCC had fulfilled its obligations, stressing that all relevant documents had been served on the defence, even though they were not paginated or arranged chronologically.

The EFCC alleged that Ahmed and Banu approved the use of UBEC matching grants to pay salaries of civil servants, contrary to the purpose for which the funds were released.

At an earlier sitting, a former Accountant-General of the state, Suleiman Ishola, testified that ₦1 billion from UBEC matching grants was borrowed in 2015 to pay salaries of civil servants and pensioners.

The trial is expected to resume on February 16, 2026.