The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday arraigned ex-governor of Kwara State Abdulfatah Ahmed at the Federal High Court in Ilorin, the state capital.
However, journalists were barred from covering it.
Ahmed’s chief press secretary Wahab Oba told journalists outside the court premises that his boss was being persecuted.
“The former governor Dr. Ahmed is supposed to be arraigned by the EFCC so we are here to witness the commencement of the trial. Ordinarily the court is an open place, our concern is that the trial should be transparent and open.
“We cannot understand why the police have denied especially journalists from covering the event,” he said.
EFCC quizzes ex-Kwara gov Abdulfatah Ahmed
Ex-governor Abdulfatah Ahmed remains in EFCC custody after two nights
Ahmed has been in the custody of the EFCC since Monday.
In a document PUNCH said it obtained on Thursday, the EFCC said they had uncovered how Ahmed allegedly chartered private jets with the sum of N1,610,730,500.00 meant for the security and running cost of the Government of Kwara State.
In one of the counts, the EFCC accused Ahmed of fraudulent conversion of N400 million of a N1 billion short-term loan obtained by the Kwara State Government from Ecobank Nigeria Limited, meant for the completion of ongoing projects in the state.
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 N1,610,730,500, 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.”
