Did Abdulfatah Ahmed Divert ₦5.78 Billion UBEC Funds? Why Kwara Court Adjourned Ex-Governor’s Fraud Trial to February 16

A Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin has adjourned the ₦5.78 billion alleged fraud trial of former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his former Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, raising fresh questions about how public education funds were allegedly diverted under the previous administration. The case, which resumed before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar, was postponed to February 16, 2026, following legal objections during the presentation of evidence by the prosecution.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Ilorin Zonal Directorate, is prosecuting the former officials over claims that funds meant for educational development were unlawfully redirected. According to the EFCC, the defendants approved the use of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grants—money specifically allocated for building and upgrading primary and junior secondary schools across Kwara’s 16 local government areas—to pay civil servants’ salaries, contrary to the conditions attached to the funds.

During the latest hearing, the prosecution called its sixth witness, Stanley Ujilibo, who told the court that the EFCC obtained bank statements from Polaris Bank (formerly Skye Bank) and Guaranty Trust Bank as part of its investigation. He explained that official letters dated August 1, 2025, were sent to both banks requesting records of Kwara State Government accounts. The banks acknowledged the requests and provided the statements, which were admitted as exhibits by the court.

The trial further revisited earlier testimony by a former Accountant-General of Kwara State, Suleiman Oluwadare Ishola, who stated that ₦1 billion from UBEC matching grants was borrowed in 2015 by the Ahmed administration to pay salaries and pensions. This revelation has intensified public scrutiny over whether funds intended for school infrastructure were systematically diverted for recurrent government expenses.

However, proceedings were briefly stalled when the EFCC attempted to tender additional documents from the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General. Defence counsel, led by Kamaldeen Ajibade, objected on procedural grounds, arguing that the documents had not been properly highlighted for clarity and reference. Justice Abdulgafar upheld the objection and consequently adjourned the case.

The adjournment has sparked debate across Kwara State and beyond: Was public education funding sacrificed to cover salary obligations? Did the former administration violate the terms governing UBEC grants? And will the evidence presented be enough to establish criminal responsibility?

As the trial continues, the case stands as a major test of accountability in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, particularly regarding the management of education funds and the prosecution of high-profile political figures.

BREAKING: Nigerian Court Declares Local Governments Fully Autonomous, Ends State Control of UBEC Funds

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that local governments in Nigeria are an autonomous third tier of government, nullifying sections of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act, 2004, that placed Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) under state control. The judgment mandates that LGEAs can now access federal education grants directly from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) without going through state governments or SUBEBs. Justice Emeka Nwite emphasized that previous laws contradicting the Constitution are unconstitutional. UBEC and the Attorney-General have been ordered to notify all 37 SUBEBs and 774 LGEAs within three months, with the deadline set for January 14, 2026. The ruling aims to ensure transparency, reduce fund mismanagement, and improve education delivery at the grassroots level.

Nigerian Court Declares Local Governments Autonomous, Ends State Control of Universal Basic Education Funds

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that Nigerian local governments are an autonomous tier of government, invalidating provisions of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act 2004 that placed Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) under state supervision. Justice Emeka Nwite ordered that LGEAs can now apply for and receive federal education grants directly from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), bypassing state governments and SUBEBs. The court mandated UBEC and the Attorney-General of the Federation to notify all 37 SUBEBs and 774 LGEAs nationwide within three months, reinforcing local governments’ constitutional independence in administering UBE funds.

President Tinubu has approved the constitution and reconstitution of the governing boards of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Below is the full list of appointed chairmen, executive directors, and members:

UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION COMMISSION (UBEC) BOARD
- Chairman: Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (retained)

- South East Representative: Uchendu Ikechi Mbaegbulem

- South South Representative: Gift Ngo

- South West Representative: Mrs Ibiwunmi Akinnola

- North East Representative: Dr Meiro Mandara

- North West Representative: Dr Abdu Imam Saulawa

- North Central Representative: Professor Paul Ibukun-Olu Bolorunduro

(Term: 4 years in the first instance)

BANK OF AGRICULTURE (BOA)

- Chairman: Muhammad Babangida

- Managing Director/CEO: Ayo Sotinrin

Executive Directors
- Fatima Garba (Sokoto) – Executive Director, Corporate Services

- Ka’amuna Ibrahim Khadi (Borno) – Executive Director, Risk Management & Strategy

- Hakeem Oluwatosin Salami (Kwara) – Executive Director, Operations

Non-Executive Directors
- Aminu Malami Mohammed – North East
- Charles Amuchienwa – South East
- Oladejo Odunuga – South West
- Rabiu Idris Funtua – North West
- Kochi Donald Iorgyer – North Central

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT FUND (NADF) BOARD
- Executive Secretary/CEO (previously appointed): Muhammad Abu Ibrahim

- Chairman: Mallam Bello Maccido (North West)

Members
- Dr Nelson Henry Essien – South South (Akwa Ibom)
- Amina Ahmed Habib – North West (Jigawa)
- Engr. Akinyinka Olufela Akinnola – South West (Ondo)
- Hassan Tanimu Musa Usman – North East (Borno)
- Lufer Samson Orkar – North Central (Benue)
- Felix Achibiri – South East (Imo)

The appointments take immediate effect.

Tinubu Appoints New Boards for NADF, UBEC and Bank of Agriculture

President Bola Tinubu has approved new boards for three major federal institutions — the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). According to a statement by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, the July appointment of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura as UBEC chairman remains unchanged, with additional zonal representatives appointed. For the Bank of Agriculture, Tinubu reaffirmed earlier appointments, including Muhammad Babangida as chairman and Ayo Sotinrin as managing director, alongside new executive and non-executive directors from all geopolitical zones. The NADF board was also fully constituted, with Bello Maccido named chairman and other members appointed to represent various zones, completing the agency’s leadership structure.

Tinubu Constitutes Boards of NADF, Bank of Agriculture, UBEC

…Appoints Chairmen, Executive Directors, Zonal Representatives

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the constitution of the governing boards of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), with appointments reflecting federal character and professional expertise.

Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC)
Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, earlier appointed in July, retains his position as Chairman of the UBEC Board.

New zonal representatives appointed to the board are:

South East: Uchendu Ikechi

Mbaegbulem
South South:

Gift Ngo
South West:

Mrs Ibiwunmi Akinnola
North East:

Dr Meiro Mandara
North West:

Dr Abdu Imam Saulawa
North Central:

Professor Paul Ibukun-Olu Bolorunduro

The Chairman and members shall serve an initial four-year term.

Bank of Agriculture (BOA)
President Tinubu confirmed the earlier appointments of Muhammad Babangida as Chairman and Ayo Sotinrin as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.

Three Executive Directors and five Non-Executive Directors were also named:

Executive Directors
Fatima Garba (Sokoto) – Corporate Services

Ka’amuna Ibrahim Khadi (Borno) – Risk Management and Strategy
Hakeem

Oluwatosin Salami (Kwara) – Operations

Non-Executive Directors

Aminu Malami Mohammed – North East

Charles Amuchienwa – South East

Oladejo Odunuga – South West

Rabiu Idris Funtua – North West

Kochi Donald Iorgyer – North Central

National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF)
Mallam Bello Maccido, pioneer Chairman of FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited with over 30 years’ experience in financial services, was appointed Chairman of the NADF Board (representing North West).

Other board members include:

Dr Nelson Henry Essien (Akwa Ibom/South South) – Financial Consultant and Seasoned Banker

Amina Ahmed Habib (Jigawa/North West) – Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants

Engr. Akinyinka Olufela Akinnola (Ondo/South West) – Engineer and Businessman

Hassan Tanimu Musa Usman (Borno/North East) – Founder, New Frontier Developments Ltd; former Non-Executive Director, Access Bank

Lufer Samson Orkar (Benue/North Central)

Felix Achibiri (Imo/South East) – Group Director, Genesis Energy Holdings; Chairman/CEO, DFC Holdings Limited

The appointments follow the October 2023 naming of Muhammad Abu Ibrahim as Executive Secretary/CEO of NADF.

The new boards are expected to drive agricultural financing, rural development, and universal basic education delivery across the country.

Lagos Govt, UBEC Strengthen Ties for Quality Basic Education

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to deliver quality and inclusive education for every child in Lagos and across Nigeria.

Speaking through Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, during a courtesy visit by UBEC executives at the Roundhouse, Alausa, Ikeja, Sanwo-Olu stressed that education remains the bedrock of national development and must not be compromised.

He emphasized that in 2025, no Nigerian child should be out of school, adding that education is not bound by region or culture but is a fundamental right.

“If we get primary education right, the future of our children will be secure,” he said.


Sanwo-Olu assured that Lagos would provide qualified teachers, adequate security, and full infrastructure support for UBEC’s Smart Model School in Badagry, while also encouraging peer review and knowledge sharing among states to replicate best practices nationwide.

UBEC’s Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, praised Lagos for leading in education outcomes, noting that the Badagry Smart School—equipped with modern facilities like computers and interactive boards—could accommodate nearly 1,000 students. She called for state support to sustain the project and highlighted the role of private sector partnerships in driving improved learning nationwide.

The governor further called for data-driven planning, special-needs focus, and routine health checks for pupils to ensure that no child is left behind.

Pupils Forced To Learn On Bare Floors, Under Trees At Niger State School – Report

Civic accountability group MonITng has raised alarm over the dire state of Nuhu Lafarma Primary School in Agaie LGA, Niger State, where pupils reportedly sit on bare floors, under leaking roofs, and even beneath trees to learn.

The organisation accused the government of neglect, despite Niger State claiming to allocate 70% of its 2025 budget to education and UBEC disbursing ₦121 billion nationwide.

MonITng criticised misplaced priorities, citing the state’s recent spending of ₦3.02 billion to sponsor 357 pilgrims for Hajj instead of renovating schools.

“This is not just about numbers, it is about children’s futures being wasted,” the group said, calling on Governor Umar Bago to act urgently.

#EducationCrisis #NigerState #ChildrenDeserveBetter

Weeks After Withdrawal of UBEC appointment, Pres. Tinubu Appoints Idris Olorunnimbe as NCC Chairman.

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Idris Olorunnimbe, founder of The Temple, as chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Olorunnimbe replaces Aminu Waida, who will continue as the NCC’s executive vice chairman and chief executive officer — a role he has held since October 2023, with Senate confirmation in November that year.

Olorunnimbe’s previous federal appointment as chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in March was withdrawn in July and given to former Nasarawa governor, Tanko Al-Makura.

He also served on the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) board, where he led youth employment and entrepreneurship programmes. The new NCC board includes: Abraham Oshidami (executive commissioner, technical services), Rimini Makama (executive commissioner, stakeholder management), Maryam Bayi (former director, human capital & administration), Cornel Abdulwahab Lawal (Rtd), Lekan Mustafa, Chris Okorie, Princess Oforitsenere Emiko, and the board secretary.

Tinubu also approved Bosun Tijani, minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, as chairman of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), with Olorunnimbe as vice chairman. Other USPF board members are Oshidami, Makama, Aliyu Edogi Aliyu (FMCIDE representative), Joseph B. Faluyi (finance ministry), Auwal Mohammed (budget & planning ministry), Uzoma Dozie, Peter Bankole, Abayomi Okanlawon, Gafar Quadri, and the USPF secretary.

The USPF was set up to expand access to information and communication technologies in rural, unserved, and underserved communities across Nigeria.

Tragedy in Education: Kogi Students Forced to Learn Under Trees as School Lies in Ruins for Over a Decade

In a heartbreaking revelation, students of Government Science Secondary School, Oguma, in Bassa LGA, Kogi State, have been learning under mango trees for over 10 years due to the total collapse of school infrastructure.

Classrooms have no roofs, no walls, no windows—just crumbling blocks and shattered dreams. With no shelter, students are exposed to scorching heat, rain, and insecurity, forcing many parents to withdraw their children in search of private education they can barely afford.

The situation was brought to light by civic platform Monitng, which condemned the silence and inaction of both past and present administrations, despite alleged allocations of billions of naira to education under former Governor Yahaya Bello and the current government led by Governor Usman Ododo.

"This is not education—it’s abandonment," Monitng said, urging Governor Ododo to declare a state of emergency in the education sector and take immediate action to renovate the school and restore dignity to public education.

According to UBEC, ₦250 billion was disbursed for basic school upgrades across the country, yet Oguma remains a symbol of neglect and misappropriation.

As teachers lose morale and communities fall into despair, one truth remains clear: Nigeria’s children deserve better than classrooms under mango trees.


#KogiEducationCrisis #SaveOgumaSchool #EducationUnderTrees #NigeriaDeservesBetter #BasicEducationFail #UBECFunds

GistEbonyi Governor Speaks On Suspending 87 Officials For Not Attending Daughter’s Birthday Party.

Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru, has debunked reports that he suspended some government officials for not attending his daughter’s birthday.

Naija News reports that the rumour, which spread on 𝕏 formerly Twitter, claimed that Nwifuru took action against 25 commissioners and several appointees because they failed to show up at a birthday party held for his child.

But the Ebonyi State government revealed that the suspension had nothing to do with any birthday celebration.

Monday Uzor, chief press secretary to the Ebonyi governor, said the officials were punished for failing to attend a major public function; a basic school sports competition organised by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC).

Governor Nwifuru had asked his deputy, Patricia Obila, to represent him at the event and directed other senior officials to be present.

Despite this instruction, many were absent, which led to disciplinary action.

“The governor was away and had instructed his deputy to represent him at the grand finale of the Basic School Sports competition organised by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC). However, most of his commissioners and appointees failed to attend.

“So, when the governor learnt about it, he had to take action, as this was not the first time it was happening.

“And for that picture circulating, it is unrelated to the suspension. It was taken at a private event hosted by the governor in July”, Uzor said.

The suspension will last one month, during which the affected officials will not receive salaries or be allowed to sign any official documents.