Ahmed Idris, the immediate former Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), stated that he had originally believed he would not be tried for the N109 billion fraud that he and three other people are on trial for.
One of the thirteen statements the former AG-F provided to EFCC investigators has been tendered before a Federal Capital Territory High Court, where he and other defendants are awaiting trial.
Idris claimed that, believing he would not face charges, he complied with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) investigators by giving them the information they needed to further their investigation.
In the statement, dated May 25, 2022, he said: “All along, I have cooperated with the EFCC officials and have volunteered information to demonstrate my commitment to make the investigation easier and speedy.
“Any statement I have made before or I am making now is based on my firm assumption, belief and understanding that by being open and aligning myself with statements made by principal suspects, such statements will not be used against me and eventually lead to my trial or prosecution.
“In view of foregoing statements, I wish to accept the net figure of N13.2 billion I am confronted with, subject to the reservations expressed in this statement.”
Chris Uche, his attorney, had raised an objection to the statements’ admissibility on the grounds that his client had been duped by investigators into making the admission-filled comments.
According to reports, Idris, his former technical assistant Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, a director in the Office of the AGF, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited—which is allegedly owned by Idris—are all being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 14-count charge that involves potential theft and criminal breach of trust totaling N109 billion.
