By Akinwale Kasali
Disgraced former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, allegedly, took a whopping sum of over N15 billion as bribe to approve derivable payment due to nine oil producing States, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Idris and three others are being prosecuted by the EFCC for financial crimes amounting to N109 billion.
On Friday, he was remanded in Prison custody by the Honourable Justice Adeyemi Ajayi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Idris alongside him are his two other alleged accomplices pending the determination of their bail applications.
Justice Adeyemi-Ajayi made the order after Idris, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele and Mohammed Kudu Usman pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge in which they are accused of diverting about N109billion public funds.
Idris, a native of Kano State, North West Nigeria was intercepted and arrested the EFCC, over alleged money laundering and diversion of public funds.
The said money was diverted through some bogus contracts, with the companies used in laundering the funds allegedly linked to family members and associates of the former Accountant General of the Federation.
Before his interception and arrest by the EFCC, he had been summoned repeatedly for interrogation, the Commission said, but he failed to honour the invitations, prompting the Commission to ambush him and forcefully arrested him.
According to EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, “We kept inviting him but he kept dodging us,” one of our sources said. “We were left with no choice than to keep him under watch and arrest him.”
It was gathered through the Commission’s verified intelligence that the former AGF raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.
The funds were laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.
After his arrest by the EFCC on May 16, 2022, he was released on bail by the Commission on June 2nd, 2022. While in the EFCC custody, he was suspended by the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed.
The suspension was contained in a letter by the Minister dated May 18, 2022, in which she said the move was necessitated by the need to “allow for proper and unhindered investigation into the serious allegations in line with Public Service Rules 030406”.
According to the Minister, during the suspension period, which is without pay, Mr Idris is not “expected to attend to your place of work or contact any official in your Office except for any disciplinary hearing that may be advised”.
President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Idris as the AGF on June 25, 2015.
The position became vacant at the time after the former Accountant General, Jonah Otunla, left office on June 12, 2015.
President Buhari reappointed Idris for a second four-year term in June 2019, amid criticisms from labour groups which said the Accountant General should retire after turning 60.
He was born on November 25, 1960, and would be 62 years of age in a few months.
Before his appointment as AGF, he was the Director of Finance and Accounts, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
