Court Remands Suspended AGF Ahmed Idris, Others In Prison
BY EDMOND ODOK – The Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting at Maitama in Abuja on Friday remanded the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and others at the Kuje Correctional Service following their alleged complicity in the illegal diversion of public funds to the tune of about N109.4 billion.
In his ruling, the trial Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi ordered that the Idris be remanded in prison custody after he was arraigned on a 14-count charge bordering on conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering.
The court held that Idris and other defendants in the matter should remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service till Wednesday, July 27, 2022, when their bail applications will be heard.
Other defendants in the matter are Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
Meanwhile, all the defendants had after they pleaded not guilty to the charge, separately begged the court to release them on bail, pending the determination of the case against them.
Chris Uche, SAN, who appeared for the suspended AGF, assured the court that his client would be available to face the charge against him, stressing that the EFCC had earlier granted administrative bail to the defendant who he said flew into Abuja from Kano state immediately he was notified about the arraignment.
“In a matter of this nature that the defendants have been on bail, and since there is no complaint that they violated the administrative bail conditions, I pray that they be allowed to continue to enjoy the same”, Uche submitted.
Besides, he drew the attention of the court to the fact that the EFCC earlier seized the international passport of his client.
“This court has the power to grant bail in a matter of this nature, either by oral application or by a formal application. Moreover, we have also filed a formal bail application which we also served same on the prosecution. The prisons are already saturated and unsafe”, Uche added.
Adopting the same arguments, counsel to the 2nd and 3rd defendants urged the court to accede to their clients’ request for bail.
However, the Prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that he would need time to respond to the defendants’ bail applications, arguing that allowing the defendants to go home after their arraignment, without hearing and determination of their formal bail applications, would send a wrong signal to the society.
“To ask them to go home without coming to argue the application for bail will send a wrong signal to the society that if a less important citizen is arraigned, such person would be made to suffer.
“Having filed the application, we need to react to what they said, especially on the issue that they were granted administrative bail and they complied to it”.
The Prosecution counsel further argued that the administrative bail that was granted to the Defendants, ended immediately after the charge was filed against them. “I, therefore, urge my lord not to be persuaded by submissions of the defence lawyers”, Jacobs added.
In his ruling, Justice Ajayi ordered that the Defendants should be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center, saying the court will not dance to the rhythms of public opinions but would follow due process.
“In the interest of justice, they are remanded at the prison custody pending the hearing of this (bail application) case”, the court said
Earlier, they were arraigned on 14 counts of criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109,485,572,691. The court has adjourned the case to July 27.
In arraigning the embattled AGF, the anti-graft agency in a statement titled; “N109bn Scam: Finally, EFCC Arraigns Suspended AGF Ahmed Idris, Others” said; The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will on Friday, July 22, 2022, arraign a former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.
He is to be docked alongside three others: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9
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 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”.
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 a 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”
Wilson UWUJAREN
Head, Media & Publicity
21 July 2022
