THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign a former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court.
The EFCC had arrested Idris in May while he was serving as Accountant General of the Federation over an alleged N84 billion fraud.
The Commission said Idris stole the money by carrying out bogus consultancies and other illegal activities through family members and close associates. He was accused of laundering the stolen money through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.
Idris was arrested after refusing to honour invitations extended to him by the EFCC to respond to questions concerning the allegations.
He was subsequently released but the Federal Government suspended him and appointed an Acting AGF.
Idris is to be arraigned today, Friday, July 22, 2022, according to a statement released by the EFCC on Thursday.
The former AGF would be arraigned with three others over charges bordering on criminal breach of trust and theft of the sum of N109 billion.
“He is to be docked alongside three others: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu 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,” the statement said.
In one of the counts brought against him by the EFCC Idris was accused of taking bribe of over N15 billion to accelerate payment of the 13 per cent derivation to the nine oil producing states in the country.
“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 per cent 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,” one of the counts said.
In the same vein, count eight said: “That you, Ahmed Idris, while being the Accountant General of the Federation and 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: N84.390bn 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.”
