Court Grants Ex-Kwara Governor, Ahmed ₦50 Million Bail

The Federal High Court in Ilorin, Kwara State, has granted bail to former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in the sum of ₦50,000,000 on charges related to an alleged N10 billion fraud.

The court also mandated that Ahmed provide two sureties owning landed properties within Ilorin, alongside surrendering his international passport as part of the bail conditions.

This development follows the arraignment of Ahmed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 12-count charge centering on fraud, as reported by Naija News.

The former governor faced the court on Friday, where allegations of misappropriating state funds during his tenure were laid out against him.

Notably, media personnel were restricted from accessing the courtroom during Ahmed’s arraignment, sparking concerns over transparency in the proceedings.

The EFCC’s case against Ahmed includes accusations of diverting N1.6 billion allocated for security and operational costs in Kwara State to finance personal expenses, such as chartering private jets.

A particular count in the charges highlights the alleged fraudulent conversion of N400 million from a N1 billion short-term loan secured by the Kwara State Government from Ecobank Nigeria Limited.

These funds, intended for completing ongoing state projects, were purportedly misused under Ahmed’s administration.

The EFCC said, “Ahmed (while being the Governor of Kwara State) between 2015 and 2019 in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable court used an aggregate sum of ₦1,610,730,500, property of Kwara State Government, meant for the security and running cost of the Government of Kwara State, to charter private jets through Travel Messengers Limited on different occasions for your local travels and which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust or theft.”