N109.5bn Fraud: Suspended Accountant-General Idris collected N15bn bribe on Niger Delta money

The suspended Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), Ahmed Idris, received the sum of N15.136 billion as bribe money, to fast-track the payment of the statutory 13% derivation, to the oil producing states of Nigeria.

This was revealed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a 14-count charge preferred against Idris by the financial crime agency.

The EFCC, said in a statement on Thursday that it will arraign Idris on Friday, July 22, before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

Idris, the statement said, will 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

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According to the statement, 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”.

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“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 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.’”