The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will on Friday arraign the suspended Accountant-General of the Federal (AGF), Ahmed Idris.
In a statement released on Thursday by EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren; the suspended AGF is expected to be arraigned alongside “Godfrey Olusegun Akindele and Mohammed Kudu Usman”, while a firm — Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited — is also listed in the charge.
Indictment
The EFCC said Idris and his co-defendants are indicted on a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of ₦109.5 billion.
EFCC alleged that Idris received gratification from one Olusegun Akindele, worth ₦15.1 billion, in exchange for “accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine oil-producing states in the federation”.
“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 ₦15,136,221,921.46 (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 the 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,” the charge sheet, according to the EFCC, reads in part.
“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: ₦84,390,000,000 (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.”
EFCC also said Idris’ case will be heard before A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi, justice of the federal high court in Abuja.