A drama unfolded at the Kwara State High Court on Thursday during the continuation of a hearing in a N5.78 billion case filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and his former Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu. Both defendants were present, but the proceedings were halted because of a disagreement between the defence counsel and the EFCC team over improperly paginated documents tendered as exhibits.
The dispute centred on the arrangement of documents served to the defence team versus those presented to the court. Rotimi Jacobs, the EFCC’s counsel, had tendered the documents for admission as exhibits, but the defendants’ lead counsel, Kamaldeen Ajibade, argued that the documents differed from those served on them and were not properly arranged or numbered. Jacobs maintained that the documents were the same and that it was not his team’s duty to number them for the defence.
After reviewing the documents and hearing both parties, the presiding judge, Justice Mahmud Gafar, agreed with the defence counsel that the exhibits needed to be properly arranged. The case was adjourned until 16 February 2026 to give the EFCC’s legal team time to organise the documents. In an interview with journalists, Ajibade explained that the request for proper arrangement was necessary for “proof of evidence” in the criminal matter. Jacobs conceded to the request in the spirit of fairness, acknowledging that while numbering the documents was not his duty, they would do so to facilitate the proceedings.
The N5.78 billion case against Ahmed and Banu is part of the EFCC’s broader effort to combat financial crimes and corruption in Nigeria. The commission has been actively pursuing cases against high‑profile individuals and public officials accused of mismanaging public funds. The adjournment will allow the EFCC to reorganise the documents and present them to the court in a more orderly manner, ensuring a smoother trial process. The outcome of this case will be closely watched, as it may set a precedent for future corruption cases in Nigeria.
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