EFCC to arraign ex-Accountant General, 3 others on Friday over N109bn fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) says it will on Friday, arraign the former Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris.

Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC said this in a statement on Thursday, July 21, in Abuja

Uwujaren said the former AGF and the three others would be arraigned before Justice Adeyemi Ajayi of an FCT High Court.

He said the three others to be docked alongside the AGF over N109 billion fraud were Godfrey Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

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According to him, the suspects will be arraigned on a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9.

The former AGF was arrested on May 16, by the EFCC over alleged diversion and laundering of N109 billion.

The EFCC said verified intelligence reports showed that Idris raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members, and close associates.

The commission said the funds were laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.

It said Idris was arrested after he failed to honour invitations by the commission to respond to issues connected to the alleged fraudulent acts.

The EFCC spokesman 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 Sates 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.”