The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday said it will arraign a former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, over N109 billion alleged fraud.
A statement by the agency said the former AGF will be arraigned before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.
The former treasury chief will be docked alongside three others: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
The anti-graft agency has slammed a 14- count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9 on them.
The statement said count one of the charge reads, “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.”
Count eight reads, “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 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 an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.’
– Background –
On May 16, Mr Idris was arrested by the EFCC in Kano over alleged diversion of funds and money laundering activities totalling over N174 billion.
He was accused of fraud through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.
The AGF was arrested for failing to honour multiple invitations by the anti-graft agency.
On May 19, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, suspended Mr Idris as AGF indefinitely.
The minister has directed that Idris should proceed on indefinite suspension pending the outcome of the investigation
On May 22, Mr. Anamekwe Chukwunyere Nwabuoku was appointed as overseer of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).
On May 29, the EFCC arrested a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, over alleged links to the N84bn alleged fraud involving Mr Idris.
The former governor, who won a senate ticket a day earlier under the platform of the ruling APC, was picked over a N22 billion deal.
On June 2, the EFCC released the suspended AGF on bail.
