Crime
Ex-Kwara Gov, Finance Commissioner On Trial For Diverting N5.78bn Education Fund
The Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, on Wednesday, commenced the trial of former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his Finance Commissioner, Ademola Banu.
The duo are accused of conspiring to misappropriate public funds totaling N5.78 billion during Ahmed’s tenure.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Ilorin Zonal Directorate, charged the defendants with diverting funds earmarked for teachers’ salaries under the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC), as well as funds meant for critical infrastructure and security projects in the state.
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Both Ahmed and Banu, who were arraigned on October 21, 2024, pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
At the resumed hearing, the EFCC’s first witness, Abubakar Hassan, an assistant director of finance at UBEC, provided testimony implicating the defendants.
Hassan alleged that approximately N5 billion allocated to Kwara State for educational infrastructure projects between 2013 and 2015 was misappropriated.
Testifying under the guidance of EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Hassan stated, “The Matching Grant Funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission are intended to provide specific infrastructural facilities for primary and junior secondary school students.
“These facilities include the construction of school buildings, provision of laboratories, construction of toilets, and the provision of water, sanitation, and cultural education infrastructure.”
Hassan added that UBEC’s mission is to ensure no Nigerian child is denied basic education, which spans primary to junior secondary school.
Explaining the process for accessing UBEC grants, he said,“UBEC law provides that the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, its Executive Secretary, and the Director of Finance are signatories to Matching Grants Accounts. The Matching Grants Account is opened with any commercial bank or the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
He further explained that the state must submit and defend an action plan before receiving the grants.
Hassan testified that Kwara State received N2 billion in 2013, N876 million in 2014, and N982 million in 2015 as matching grants. However, he alleged the 2013 funds were diverted despite the commencement of project implementation.
“Contractors were mobilized to work on-site, but during our project monitoring exercise, we discovered that the monies meant for the 2013 project had been diverted by the Kwara SUBEB. About N2 billion was diverted,” he told the court.
Hassan revealed that UBEC had sent a report to the Kwara SUBEB recommending corrective actions, but no response was received.
Consequently, the EFCC intervened, writing to banks to return the unused 2014 and 2015 funds. He further disclosed that UBEC halted activities in Kwara State from 2016 to 2018 due to the state’s failure to address the diverted funds.
Justice Abdulgafar adjourned the case to February 17, 2025, for further hearing.
In a statement, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale described the witness testimony as pivotal in uncovering the alleged misuse of public funds.
Crime
EFCC Warns Lawyers Against Charging Clients in Foreign Currencies
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on legal practitioners in the country to desist from the illegal and unethical practice of charging clients in foreign currencies.
The Commission disclosed this in a post on its official X account on Monday.
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The call was made on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Lagos by the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law, led by its Head, Moshood Abiola.
Speaking during the interactive session, Kaltungo expressed concern over the activities of lawyers who engage in “illegal and unethical practices,” stressing that the Commission would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable.
He also urged legal practitioners to desist from charging their clients in foreign currencies, warning that such practice could attract regulatory action.
Crime
Police Raid Criminal Hideouts, Rescue Kidnap Victims, Arrest Suspects in 8 States
The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a series of operational successes across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory, rescuing four kidnapped victims, repelling a bandit attack and arresting several suspects linked to kidnapping, armed robbery, illicit drug trafficking and other offences.
The Force disclosed this in a statement shared via its official X account on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
The operations, carried out between September 10 and 12, covered Benue, Kaduna, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Sokoto, Enugu and the FCT.
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In Benue State, combined teams of Police Mobile Force, tactical and conventional operatives successfully repelled what the police described as a large-scale armed bandits’ attack on Ayilamo Community.
According to the Force, the assailants were forced to retreat into the forest with “heavy casualties” inflicted on them.
The matter is currently being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department, Makurdi.
In Kaduna State, police operatives rescued a man and his two sons who had been abducted by armed men.
The Force said the operatives pursued the abductors and engaged them in a gun duel, forcing the assailants to abandon all three victims, who were rescued unharmed and reunited with their family.
In a separate operation in Kaduna on September 12, police operatives also rescued a 60-year-old woman who had been kidnapped.
The police said the operatives engaged the armed assailants during a search-and-rescue operation, forcing them to flee and abandon the victim.
She was subsequently taken to hospital for medical attention before being reunited with her family.
In Anambra State, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad arrested a suspected member of a criminal gang allegedly involved in kidnapping and armed robbery.
The suspect reportedly confessed and provided information expected to assist the police in apprehending other gang members and recovering firearms.
Meanwhile, in the Federal Capital Territory, police surveillance operatives on anti-one-chance patrol along the Kubwa Expressway arrested three suspected members of a robbery gang.
The suspects were allegedly specialising in snatching handbags and mobile phones from commuters.
The police said the suspects also provided useful information that could assist in the arrest of other members of the gang.
Another operation in the FCT resulted in the arrest of a suspect allegedly caught attempting to steal a Mercedes-Benz C300.
According to the Force, the suspect was apprehended after being caught “red-handed” while attempting to deactivate and steal the vehicle.
In Akwa Ibom State, police operatives raided a suspected criminal hideout in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area following credible intelligence.
Three suspects were arrested, while “large quantities of substances suspected to be Indian hemp and other illicit drugs” were recovered.
In Kano State, five suspects were arrested following an investigation into a suspected abortion-related death.
The police said the suspects were connected to the incident and that the State Criminal Investigation Department, Bompai, is handling the investigation.
In Sokoto State, police tactical, area command and divisional patrol teams responded to a violent protest in Tambuwal.
The Force said the rioters were dispersed “without loss of life or injury”, while 10 suspects were arrested in connection with the disturbance.
In Enugu State, police operatives arrested a suspect following a complaint of alleged defilement. The Force said the suspect subsequently confessed to the offence.
The police said investigations into the various cases are ongoing, with the relevant State Criminal Investigation Departments and the Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja handling the investigations.
Crime
Edo Police Probe Officer Seen Firing Rifle During Clash With Traffic Officials
The Edo State Police Command has launched an investigation into an altercation involving officers of the Police Intelligence Response Team and officials of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency.
The development followed the emergence of a video on social media showing personnel from the two agencies involved in a confrontation.
In the footage, an officer identified as a member of the Intelligence Response Team was seen firing his rifle into the air during the incident.
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Reacting to the development on Thursday, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Patrick Daaor, ordered a discreet investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed in a statement that the commissioner had already interviewed representatives of both parties as part of efforts to establish what transpired.
The command also ordered that the conduct of the officer captured firing the rifle be subjected to an appropriate disciplinary review.
The police authorities said they would not tolerate indiscipline, unprofessional conduct or abuse of police powers by any of their personnel.
The command stated that any officer or official found culpable after the investigation would be appropriately sanctioned in accordance with existing laws and regulations.
The Edo Police Command also emphasised the importance of inter-agency cooperation and mutual respect among security and government agencies.
According to the command, effective public safety depends on agencies working together professionally towards a common objective.
“The incident is therefore being treated with the seriousness it deserves,” the command said, while noting that the development would not prejudice its established working relationship with the Edo State Traffic Management Agency.
The police further urged members of the public not to take the law into their own hands, advising anyone with complaints about police misconduct to use the appropriate complaint channels, including the Police Complaint Response Unit.





