How ex-Kwara lawmakers, commissioner swindled state of N5bn —EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered how 24 ex-lawmakers of Kwara House of Assembly, former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu and some companies allegedly swindled the state of about N5 billion.

The EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement in Ilorin on Friday, said the money belongs to the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS).

According to him, the immediate past Chairman of KWIRS, Prof. Muritala Awodu, former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Moshood Bakare and some staff of KWIRS are presently being interrogated by the EFCC operatives.

He said: “It was discovered during investigations that about five companies linked to highly placed politicians in Kwara State benefited about N4 billion from the money, without any valid contractual agreements with the state government.

Read also: Senate to partner AMCON to chase VIP debtors owing N5tn

“Other beneficiaries of the money includes, all the former 24 members of the Kwara House of Assembly including the speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad, former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, ex-Kwara State Accountant General, Ishola Sulyman and Permanent Secretaries among others.”

He said a staff of KWIRS, while being interrogated by the operatives of the Commission, said the House of Assembly members were collecting N4 million monthly for public relations, which they shared among themselves.

“The former Kwara State Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu was collecting N5 million monthly without working for it.

“In fact, Mr. Banu collect it in cash, I do take it to his house, if we don’t give him, he won’t approve anything we take to him,” the EFCC spokesman quoted the KWIRS staff as saying during the interrogation.

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