Abdulfatah Ahmed, a former governor of Kwara State, was interviewed and detained on Monday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged fraudulent transactions involving billions of naira that occurred during his reign.
The ex-governor, who was seen at the EFCC office in Ilorin on Monday morning, had not been released as of the time of this story on Monday night.
According to a trustworthy source at the EFCC’s Ilorin headquarters, the ex-governor was not permitted to leave.
“Yes, the immediate-past governor is here; he got here in the morning and he’s still with us,” the operative told one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity.
“Alhaji Ahmed has not been released on bail by the EFCC as we are talking now,” another source told one of our correspondents at 10.31 pm on Monday.
Multiple sources in the EFCC told our correspondents that the anti-graft agency was conducting preliminary investigations into transactions amounting to N10bn, during the tenure of the ex-governor.
The funds, they said, were in connection with some projects executed in the state during Ahmed’s tenure.
“It is a preliminary investigation, so it is too early to say that this is what happened to the money. Investigations are still ongoing, so it is when investigations have been concluded that one can say this is exactly what happened to the money. But for now, it is just preliminary investigation,” one of the sources said.
Another source at the agency said yesterday: “The ex-governor was questioned on the diversion and mismanagement of N10billion funds of the Kwara State Government during his tenure as governor between 2011 and 2019.
“It is about alleged diversion, misappropriation of funds and money laundering. We have been on this investigation since 2019.
The source added: “We are trying to tidy up the investigation ahead of the arraignment of the ex-governor before the Federal High Court in Ilorin.
“We want to avert recourse to frivolous applications on jurisdiction which may drag for some time. We will put the ex-governor on trial in Kwara State.
“We have detained the former governor to enable him to respond to some issues.”
When contacted by our correspondent via phone calls and Whatsapp messages, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, declined comments on the issue.
Ahmed’s Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji AbdulWahab Oba, 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. (Pieced together from reorts by The PUNCH and The Nation)