N109bn theft: Ex-AGF, others sent to prison

A Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory on Friday remanded a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and two others at the Kuje Correctional Centre (prison).

Persecondnews reports that Idris and other defendants — Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Ltd — were arraigned before Justice Adeyemi Ajayi.

They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 14-count charge bordering on stealing and criminal breach of trust amounting to N109. 48 billion.

Ajayi, who gave the order, said the defendants should cool their heels in prison pending the hearing of their bail applications on July 27.

Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) represented the EFCC while Chief Chris Uche (SAN) represented the 1st defendant (Idris).

While they were docked, the EFCC alleged that Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja, being a public servant by virtue of his position as the AGF accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15.1billion which sum was converted to the United States Dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of his lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13 per cent derivation to the nine oil producing states through the office of the AGF.

The anti-graft agency also alleged that  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 had 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, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property.

It accused them of dishonestly receiving the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co.”

The offences contravened Sections 155 and 315 of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.