The ₦5.78 billion alleged fraud trial of former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his ex-Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, has been adjourned to February 16, 2026.

The case resumed on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar. The prosecution called a key witness, Stanley Ujilibo, who provided evidence regarding the investigation conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ujilibo, the sixth prosecution witness, explained that the EFCC obtained bank statements of the Kwara State Government from Polaris Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank during its investigation. Letters requesting the statements, dated August 1, 2025, were sent to the banks, which subsequently provided the documents. These bank statements were admitted in court as exhibits.

The EFCC alleges that Ahmed and Banu approved the diversion of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grant funds to pay civil servants’ salaries, contrary to the intended purpose of the funds. The UBEC grants and counterpart contributions, representing 50% of the total allocation, were meant for basic infrastructure in primary and junior secondary schools across the state’s 16 local government areas.

At a previous hearing, former Kwara State Accountant-General Suleiman Oluwadare Ishola testified that in 2015, N1 billion from UBEC matching grants was used by the Ahmed administration to pay civil servants and pensioners.

During Thursday’s proceedings, Ujilibo noted that the EFCC received a petition from the Kwara State Government, prompting further correspondence with the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General. However, when the prosecution sought to submit these responses as evidence, defence counsel Kamaldeen Ajibade objected, arguing that the documents were not properly highlighted for reference.

Following the objection, Justice Abdulgafar adjourned the trial to February 16, 2026, for continuation.