EFCC arraigns ex-Kwara scholarship board chair, others for fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned the immediate past Chairperson of the Kwara State Scholarship Board, Hajia Fatimah Yusuf, and two others over alleged involvement in bursary fraud in the board.

Yusuf was arraigned alongside Fatai Lamidi, Executive Secretary and Stephen Ajewole, the accountant in the scholarship board, before the court presided over by Justice Sikiru Oyinloye.

They were arraigned on seven count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery of documents, dishonesty and criminal breach of trust.

The charges read in part, “That you, Fatimah Yusuf (while being the chairman, Kwara State Scholarship Board), Fatai Lamidi (while being the executive secretary, Kwara State Scholarship Board) and Ajewole Stephen (while being the accountant, Kwara State Scholarship Board), between the months of November 2018 and May 2019, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while acting in those capacities and entrusted with N50m for the payment of 2018 bursary awards to 10,000 students who are indigenes of Kwara State, dishonestly disposed of N6,269,950 out of the above sum in violation of the direction of law prescribing the mode the trust is to be discharged, thereby committing criminal breach of trust punishable under Section 315 of the same law”

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the seven counts levelled against them by the anti-graft body.

When the matter was called for arraignment on Wednesday, Prosecuting Counsel, Blessing Akinsola said, “My Lord, We have seven counts dated 21st of December 2019, we pray this honourable court to accept the charge and allow it to be read to all the defendants. “

Counsel for the defendants, Isau Saka and Y.O. Ahmed, did not oppose the application but urged the judge to grant them bail.

Oyinloye granted them bail in the sum of N10m with two sureties each in like sum.

Oyinloye adjourned further hearing in the matter till February 26, 2020.