A former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed, was yesterday quizzed by detectives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged misappropriation of funds belonging to the state.
Impeccable sources at both the headquarters and Ilọrin zonal office of the commission confided in our correspondents that the fund was to the tune of N10 billion which was allegedly laundered when Ahmed held sway as the state governor.
It was gathered that the former governor, who arrived at the EFCC facility at about 9am on Monday, was still at the commission’s Ilọrin office at the time of filing this report.
Daily Trust reports that Ahmed, an ally of a former Senate president, Bukola Saraki, had last year been invited by the anti-graft agency over how the affairs of the state were conducted under his watch.
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Findings at the time showed that the former governor, who was accompanied by his lawyers, was asked to come over to the commission with some documents to aid the investigation.
Speaking on Monday afternoon to one of our correspondents, an operative of the commission, who doesn’t want his name in print because he wasn’t authorised to speak, said the former governor has been “cooperating”.
“You know we have been investigating him for some money to the tune of N10bn allegedly laundered under his watch as governor. So, we invited him again for our ongoing investigation and he honoured the invitation,” another source at the headquarters of the commission explained.
When contacted, the spokesman of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, confirmed Ahmed’s presence at the anti-graft agency’s facility but declined to give further details when our correspondent sought more clarifications.
Meanwhile, several calls to the phone number of the former governor were not answered at the time of filing this report.
His spokesman, Wahab Oba, who confirmed the invitation, described the former governor’s Monday visit to the commission’s office as “procedural and routine.”
Oba said, “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 governor of the state.”
“So, there’s nothing unusual about the invitation and his honouring the anti-graft agency,” he added.
