The  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, arraigned six officials of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board for an allged fraud of N96m.

The defendants were arraigned on four counts  before Justice Suleiman Akanbi of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.

A statement signed by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Tuesday, listed the accused as Ahmed Olarewaju, Director of Finance and Supply; Omole Omololu, Controller of Finance and Accounts; Fatai Oyerinde, Coordinator of the Salary Unit; Mujeeb Ibrahim, Executive Officer for Accounts and Salary Schedule; as well as Salami Bashir and Dauda Quozim, both staff members of the Salary Unit.

The prosecution alleged that between 2018 and 2020, the defendants conspired to divert public funds belonging to the Kwara State Government for personal use and shared the proceeds among themselves.

It said the defendants “did commit the offence of criminal breach of trust, punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code.”

Upon hearing the charges, the defendants pleaded “not guilty.”

Prosecution counsel Andrew Akoja then requested the court to set a trial date and order the remand of the accused in a federal correctional facility pending the next hearing.

However, defense counsels, led by Mr. Abdullahi Lawal, made oral applications for bail.

Justice Akanbi adjourned the case to Wednesday, April 16, 2025, for further hearing and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Ilorin.

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