Abdulfatah Out of His Anonymous Cocoon

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is not pulling any punches in the number of high-profile individuals it is going after. A few weeks ago, it was an oil magnate. A few days ago, it was a former personal assistant to a former governor. Currently, it is the immediate-past Governor of Kwara, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

According to reliable reports, the ex-governor was the guest at the EFCC Jabi area office in Abuja a few days ago. Ahmed was reportedly queried on his many dealings while in office, particularly the ones that somehow ushered 9 billion out of Kwara coffers on his watch. The ex-governor was said to have undergone seven hours of questioning before he was released.

The details of Ahmed’s interrogation eventually crept out after a few hours. Ahmed’s time at the EFCC headquarters required him to write statements regarding the funds lost during his tenure and those that disappeared between 2003 and 2009 while serving under Governor Bukola Saraki as the Commissioner for Finance

It is interesting that before the ongoing drama with the EFCC, Ahmed had retired from the limelight. Furthermore, contrary to the tradition, Ahmed did not declare any intention to join the Senate. (It is also interesting that several governors who left office in 2019 have kept to themselves, living under the radar.) This might be because the EFCC chased after him not long after in an allegation of financial fraud of 2 billion.

In other words, this is the second time that Ahmed has had to dance with the EFCC over the dealings of the past. Details on this matter are still pouring in, so the photo of an unsmiling Ahmed may continue to grace the front pages of many newspapers. To put it all in perspective, the EFCC has smoked the man out of his anonymous cocoon.