Gov Abdulrazaq ally, Iliasu in alleged bank loan fraud
Dragged to court over refusal to offset millions in unpaid debt
Attempt to blackmail Saraki backfires
By Mumini AbdulKareem
A former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon Ibrahim Iliasu has been dragged to court by a commercial bank in the state (name withheld) over his refusal to repay a N7million loan he obtained in 2007.
Iliasu is a close ally of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and the coordinator of the AA group, a faction in the APC loyal to the Governor, whose son is the Commissioner for Works and Transport in Kwara State.
He was alleged to have secured the said loan facility from the bank while he was serving as a member of the State Assembly representing Malete/Ipaye/Olooru constituency with an agreement to defray it with his monthly salaries that will accrue to him as a member of the House to be domiciled in an account with the bank.
However, following the crisis that rocked his tenure which led to his subsequent suspension by the leadership of the House, his salaries and allowances were stopped. He then challenged his suspension before a High Court in Ilorin and got a judgment in his favour directing the Assembly to pay him all his salaries and allowances for the period under review.
When it was time for his salaries and allowances to be paid as directed by the court, the former legislator reportedly asked the leadership of the Kwara Assembly under Hon Ali Ahmad to pay the money into another bank account, which was in violation of the agreement he had with the concerned bank.
Afterwards, Iliasu reportedly attempted to blackmail former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and paint him in bad light over the issue by telling the bank that his salaries and allowances have not been paid by the leadership of the Kwara Assembly due to a directive from Saraki to the immediate past State government and House leadership, a claim the bank discover not to be true.
“But contrary to his claim, findings by the bank revealed that his salaries and allowances had long been paid in compliance with the court order”, a source noted.
Despite repeated letters of demand sent to the ex-lawmaker by the bank, he has since refused to pay the bank.
Checks by this reporter last revealed that the Ali Ahmad-led 8th Assembly approved two payments for Iliasu running into several millions as money for his salaries and allowances. It was however not clear whether all the entitlement was fully settled by the last assembly.
Many observers have described the development as a disgrace not only for Hon Iliasu who prides himself as a kingmaker in the present government but also an embarrassment for the APC and even the government.
In an attempt to recover its money, the concerned bank has filed a direct criminal complaint against Hon. Ilyasu before an Ilorin magistrate court. The bank has also through its counsel who is an Ilorin-based human rights lawyer, Bar Moshood Agboola Yusuf, filed an undefended list against the former lawmaker before a State High Court sitting in Ilorin. The case has been scheduled for April 24th, 2020 and will be presided over by Hon. Justice H.A Gegele.
Yusuf confirmed the development in telephone chat with this reporter last night adding that the process is already in court.
But when contacted for comment, Iliasu told this reporter that he is not aware of the issue. According to him, “I am not aware and I am not making any statement for now. I am not in the country but currently in Saudi Arabia since January (this year).
“I don’t know what they are talking about and not ready to make any comment. Anybody can write what pleases them or what they feel but.
“In the first instance, how did my issue with any bank got to the social media. The person who did that when I am back, I will address it, I have left Nigeria since January and I intend to visit Umrah from here”, he submitted.
