The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is set to arraign a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and others over alleged N109 billion fraud.
A statement issued on Thursday by EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the commission would arraign the former AGF, Idris before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi, at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja..
The statement added that Idris will be arraigned alongside three others, including Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9
According to one of the charges, the EFCC alleged that Idris received gratification from one Olusegun Akindele, worth N15.1 billion in exchange for “accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine oil-producing states in the federation”.
“That you, Ahmed Idris between February and December 2021 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation, accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 (Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty-One Naira and Forty-Six Kobo), which sum was converted to the United States Dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing states in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section.
“That you, Ahmed Idris, while being the Accountant General of the Federation, and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation, between February and November 2021, at Abuja, in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000 (Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed.”
DIPLOMATIC DIARY earlier reported how Idris was arrested in Kano after he allegedly failed to respond to invitations by the EFCC to answer questions over the allegation of N80 billion fraud.
Two days later, the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had in a letter dated May 18, announced his that Idris had been suspended indefinitely “without pay”.
The suspension, Mrs Ahmed had said, was in line with Public Service Rules to give room for proper and unhindered investigation.
