Court adjourns ex Kwara gov trial to July 27 as EFCC witness testifies on N1bn loan approval
Abdullateef Fowewe
Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin, has adjourned proceedings in the ongoing trial of former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his Finance Commissioner Ademola Banu to July 27, 2026.
The adjournment, the statement obtained on Wednesday from EFCC said, followed an oral application by counsel to the second defendant, Ibn Mahmud, who informed the court that lead defence counsel Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, was indisposed.
Ahmed and Banu are being prosecuted by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC over the alleged diversion of N5.78 billion belonging to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The EFCC statement quoted the sixth prosecution witness, Assistant Commander Stanley Ujilibo, saying the former governor “gave approval for a request to secure a N1 billion loan from the state’s SUBEB counterpart fund for the payment of workers’ salaries.”
Ujilibo also told the court that the SUBEB operated under its own governing board and that neither Ahmed nor Banu was a member.
The witness said the former governor appointed the SUBEB chairman and other principal officers but “did not serve as a board member.”
The statement added that investigations “did not extend to the former governor’s personal bank accounts because the petition before the Commission did not link the allegedly diverted funds to any of his personal accounts.”
It also noted that none of the SUBEB accounting officers is currently facing trial in connection with the case.
Midway through proceedings, counsel to the first defendant, Abdulrasaq Gold, SAN, applied for an adjournment to obtain copies of Ahmed’s EFCC statement in Abuja and his asset declaration forms for further cross‑examination.
EFCC counsel Adebisi Adeniyi opposed the application, arguing the defence had ample time to request the documents since the trial began in 2024.
Justice Abdulgafar declined the application but held that the defence may recall the witness after obtaining the documents.
He adjourned the matter to July 27, 2026, for continuation of the cross‑examination of the sixth prosecution witness.
