The Kwara State High Court has scheduled April 10 and 11 for the continuation of the trial involving former governor AbdulFatah Ahmed and his finance commissioner, Demola Banu, over allegations of diverting ?5.78 billion from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the case, with both defendants pleading not guilty to the charges.

During proceedings, Engineer Abdulsalam Olanrewaju, a former project manager at the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), testified that despite the state government remitting counterpart funds in 2014 and 2015, no contracts were awarded for the intended projects. He added that while contractors for the 2013 projects were eventually paid after prolonged delays, funds allocated for subsequent initiatives remained unutilised.

Under cross-examination, Olanrewaju clarified that the authorised signatories to the SUBEB account included the accountant, permanent secretary, and executive chairman of the board.

Earlier, another witness, Dr. Musa Dasuki, reiterated that UBEC and SUBEB matching grants are exclusively designated for school infrastructure development and must not be diverted for alternative purposes.