An Assistant Director of Finance at the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Abubakar Hassan, testified before a Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, alleging that approximately ₦5 billion allocated for primary and junior secondary school projects was misappropriated during the administration of former Kwara Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
The funds, meant for constructing school facilities and improving infrastructure between 2013 and 2015, were reportedly diverted by the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). Hassan stated that while implementation of the 2013 action plan began, a monitoring exercise revealed that ₦2 billion had been misappropriated.
Following the discovery, UBEC halted the disbursement of funds for 2014 and 2015, and further activities were suspended between 2016 and 2018 due to the state’s failure to address the issues raised.
Ahmed and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, are currently on trial for alleged mismanagement of ₦5.78 billion, including funds earmarked for teacher salaries. Both have pleaded not guilty.
The case, presided over by Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar, has been adjourned to February 17, 2025, for further hearing.