Sixteen local government chairmen suspended by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State have been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
They were held for allegedly misappropriating N4bn loan and 10 per cent of the state’s internally generated revenue.
The EFCC made this known in a statement issued by its Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, on Friday.
According to him, the local government chairmen, after securing the loan, resolved among themselves to share N100 million.
EFCC disclosed that the local government chairman had requested for the loan on February 7, 2018 from Sterling Bank in order to pay the salary arrears of the State Universal Basic Education Board teachers, local government staff and the local government pensioners.
However, N100m for council chairmen were not appropriated in the request.
The local government chairmen were also said to have diverted 10 per cent of the internally generated revenue for their personal use.
It was said to have been paid into their personal accounts.
The anti-graft body said the council chairmen had admitted committing the crime.
“The council bosses are now pleading with the EFCC to give them some time that they would pay back what they had benefited from government’s money,” EFCC disclosed, adding that they would be charged to court upon the completion of investigations.
The local government bosses arrested 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.
