The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained 16 local government chairmen in Kwara State for allegedly misappropriating N4bn loan and 10 percent of the state’s internally generated revenue.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had suspended the chairmen.
The LG bosses arrested on Friday are Risikat Opakunle, Saidu Yaru Musa, Umar Belle, Ayeni Dallas, Fatai Adeniyi Garba, Lah Abdulmumeen, Raliat Funmi Salau, Aminat Omodara, Muyiwa Oladipo.
Others are, Oladipo Omole, Abdullahi Abubakar Bata, Saka Eleyele, Lateef Gbadamosi, Oni Adebayo Joseph, Omokanye Joshua Olatunji and Jibril Salihu.
EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the commission gathered that the council chairmen, after securing the shady loans, held a meeting and decided that N100m of it be shared among themselves.
The anti-graft agency alleges that on 7th of February 2018, the suspects wrote to the Ilorin branch manager of Sterling Bank, requesting a N4bn loan in order to pay the salary arrears of the State Universal Basic Education Board teachers, local government staff and the local government pensioners, but provisions for N100m for council chairmen were not appropriated in the request.
The chairmen are also accused of diverting monthly 10 percent of the internally generated revenue for their personal use, which was paid directly into their personal accounts.
The chairmen had admitted that N100m was shared from the loan and that they also received 10 percent of the internally generated revenue, the EFCC said.
They would be charged to court after the investigations had been concluded, the statement added.
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