Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal High Court presiding in Abuja has detained the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, in prison due to his purported unlawful misappropriation of public funds amounting to N109.4 billion.
Idris was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 14 counts related to conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering.
Justice Ajayi stated that Idris and other co-defendants in this case would remain in detention until Wednesday, when their bail requests would be considered.
The suspended AGF, together with Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, were indicted on a 14-count indictment of theft and criminal breach of trust totaling N109, 485,572,691.9.
The anti-corruption agency had indicated on Thursday that Count one of the indictment states: “That you, Ahmed Idris, between February and December 2021 at Abuja within the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your role as Accountant General of the Federation, accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a bribe totaling 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 amount was converted to United States Dollars by said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not constitute part of your lawful earnings but served as an incentive for hastening the disbursement of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil-producing states in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, thereby committing 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 states: “That you, Ahmed Idris, while serving as the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while acting as 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 a position, were entrusted with certain assets, to wit: N84,390,000,000 (Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) and committed criminal breach of trust concerning the aforementioned asset when you unlawfully received the said amount from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.”
