EFCC releases detained Kwara local councils chairmen

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Saturday released the 16 suspended Kwara State local government councils’ chairmen detained by its Ilorin Zonal office on bail.

The EFCC operatives arrested the councils’ chiefs on Friday over alleged misappropriation of part of the N4 billion loan and 10 percent of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

According to the anti-graft agency, the councils chairmen held a meeting and agreed to share N100 million out of the N4 billion loan.

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“They had on February 7, 2018, written a N4 billion loan request to the manager of Ilorin branch of Sterling Bank in order to pay the salary arrears of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) teachers, local government staff, and the local government pensioners while the provisions for N100 million was not appropriated in the loan request.

“All the suspects while undergoing interrogation by the operatives of the agency, admitted that N100 million was shared from the loan and also received 10 percent of the state Internally Generated Revenue,” the EFCC said.

The councils’ chiefs, however, pleaded with the Commission to give them time to repay back what they benefitted from the “government’s money.”

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