16 Ex-Kwara Council Chairmen Arrested over Alleged Misuse of N4bn …

Operatives of the Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have detained 16 ex-local government council chairmen in Kwara State over an alleged misappropriation of part of N4 billion loan and 10 per cent of the state internally generated revenue (IGR).

Already, the affected former council chairmen are currently being interrogated by the anti-graft agency and may be charged to court on Monday.

The ex-council officials in detention at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Ilorin include Mrs. Risikat Opakunle, Mr. Saidu Yaru Musa, Mr. Umar Belle, Mr. Ayeni Dallas, Fatai Adeniyi Garba, Lah Abdulmumeen, Raliat Funmi Salau, Aminat Omodara and Muyiwa Oladipo.

Others are, Oladipo Omole, Abdullahi Abubakar Bata, Saka Eleyele, Lateef Gbadamosi, Oni Adebayo Joseph, Omokanye Joshua Olatunji and Jibril Salihu.

It was alleged that the former council chairmen, after securing the controversial loans, decided to share N100 million.

The suspects had on February 7, 2018 written a N4 billion loan request to the Ilorin Sterling Bank Manager for the payment of the Salary Arrears of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Teachers, Local Government Staff and the Local Government Pensioners. It was gathered that provisions for the N100 million for council chairmen was not appropriated in the loan request.

The detainees were also accused of diverting monthly 10 per cent of the internally generated revenue for their personal use, which was paid directly into their personal accounts against the financial regulations.

All the suspects, according to sources close to the EFCC, in the course of interrogation by the operatives of the Commission, admitted that they shared N100 million from the loan and also received 10 per cent of the internally generated revenue.

They were said to have pleaded with the EFCC to give them time to pay back what they benefited from government’s money.