EFCC Arrests 16 Kwara LG Chairmen Over N4bn Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Kwara State Zonal Office on Friday arrested 16 Kwara Local Government chairmen over alleged N4 billion fraud.

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had suspended the chairmen for misappropriating the huge sum.

They allegedly misappropriated N4bn loan and 10 percent of the state’s internally generated revenue.

The local government chairmen arrested on Friday are: Risikat Opakunle, Saidu Yaru Musa, Umar Belle, Ayeni Dallas, Fatai Adeniyi Garba, Lah Abdulmumeen, Raliat Funmi Salau, Aminat Omodara, Muyiwa Oladipo, Oladipo Omole, Abdullahi Abubakar Bata, Saka Eleyele, Lateef Gbadamosi, Oni Adebayo Joseph, Omokanye Joshua Olatunji and Jibril Salihu.

According to the commission in a statement issued by its head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, the council chairmen, after securing the controversial loans, held a meeting and decided that N100m of it be shared among themselves.

It said the chairmen had, on the 7th of February 2018, written to the Ilorin branch manager of Sterling Bank requesting a N4bn loan in order to pay the salary arrears of the State Universal Basic Education Board teachers, local government staff and the local government pensioners, while the provisions for N100m for council chairmen were not appropriated in the request.

The EFCC added that the council chairmen were also accused of diverting monthly 10 percent of the internally generated revenue for their personal use, which was paid directly into their personal accounts.

It stated that all the suspects, while undergoing interrogation by the operatives of the Commission, admitted that N100m was shared from the loan and that they also received 10 percent of the internally generated revenue.

The commission said the council bosses were now pleading with the EFCC to give them some time to pay back what they had benefited from government’s money.

The EFCC said the politicians were still being held in custody and might spend the weekend there, adding that they would be charged to court after the investigations had been concluded.