In a stunning twist of events, six officials of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board found themselves in the hot seat as the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought them before the State High Court in Ilorin. The reason? An alleged misappropriation of a whopping N96 million.
The accused individuals—Ahmed Olarewaju, Omole Omololu, Fatai Oyerinde, Mujeeb Ibrahim, Salami Bashir, and Dauda Quozim—faced a four-count charge that centered around criminal breach of trust and the misappropriation of public funds. These officials, who held various roles at SUBEB, were suspected of collaborating between 2018 and 2020 to divert government funds for personal gain.
According to a statement released by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, the accused individuals allegedly abused their positions of trust to siphon money from the Kwara SUBEB account, which was held at Sterling Bank Plc. The charges were not taken lightly, with one of them specifically pointing out the mismanagement of N33,891,982.37 between September and December 2018. This act was deemed a criminal breach of trust, an offense that carried significant penalties under Section 315 of the Penal Code.
Another accusation leveled against the officials highlighted the misappropriation of N30,406,629.09 from the same account during the period of January to June 2019. These charges painted a grim picture of financial misconduct within the ranks of the very individuals tasked with upholding the integrity of public funds.
When the defendants entered their pleas, they all staunchly maintained their innocence. This led to a pivotal moment in the courtroom as the prosecution counsel, Andrew Akoja, pushed for a trial date and requested that the accused be remanded to a federal correctional facility. On the other hand, the defense counsel, Abdullahi Lawal, wasted no time in making an oral bid for bail, seeking to secure their release pending further legal proceedings.
Justice Suleiman Akanbi presided over the proceedings and, after careful consideration, decided to adjourn the case to April 16, 2025, for additional hearings. In the interim, he ruled that the defendants should be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Ilorin, marking a significant moment in the ongoing legal battle surrounding this high-profile case.
