By Balkis Tijani.
The Ilorin zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the General Manager of the Kwara State Television Authority, Abdulfatai Adebowale, over alleged land fraud.
Adebowale was reportedly detained alongside three other officials of the state TV located at Apata Yakuba, Ilorin.
The EFCC, in a statement issued on Friday by its Head of Media, Wilson Uwujaren, revealed that the Kwara State government had in 2014, allocated 10 plots of land located within the premises of the TV station to some employees of the station.
The statement added that the station’s general manager allegedly sold the 10 plots of land given by the state government and diverted the proceeds for personal use.
The anti-graft agency also disclosed that 13 workers of the television station had on May 8, 2019, forwarded a petition to the commission, seeking probe into the matter.
The petition stated that, “Since 2014 till date, the said plots of land was hijacked by Abdulfatai Adebowale against the purpose intended by the state government for staff of the corporation.”
The EFCC, while stating its findings, said: “The general manager and his son benefited from the land while the remaining ones were sold to outsiders without the knowledge of the staff.”
The commission noted that the suspects would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.