Alleged N109bn fraud: EFCC arraigns ex-Accountant General Idris

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday arraigned a former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and three others on charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.4 billion.

They were arraigned before Justice Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

Mr Idris was brought before the court alongside 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

In an earlier statement announcing the scheduled arraignment, EFCC spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren disclosed two counts (one and eight) of the 14 counts the quartet will face.

Count one of the charges 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 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 a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000 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.”

The EFCC had on May 16 announced the arrest of Idris who was the Accountant General at the time, a move that sent shockwaves across the nation in the current administration’s efforts in fighting corruption.

In a statement, the anti-graft agency had explained that Idris was for an alleged diversion and laundering of N80 billion.

The development forced the Minister of Finance, Ahmed Zainab, to suspend him pending the conclusion of the corruption investigations.

About two weeks later, the EFCC uncovered another N90 billion alleged fraud involving the suspended Accountant-General.

Despite the arrest, the agency had yet to arraign him in court. It however indicated that the former Accountant-General will appear in Abuja court on Friday.