EFCC deceived me into admitting N109.4bn fraud – Ex-accountant-general

Ahmed Idris

EFCC deceived me into admitting N109.4bn fraud – Ex-accountant-general

An ex-Accountant-General of Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, has said he was decieved by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to admit his involvement in an alleged N109.4 billion fraud.
Idris is standing trial on a 14-count charge alongside Geoffrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and a firm — Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, before a high court of the federal capital territory (FCT) in Maitama.

Idris was arrested on May 16, 2022, by the EFCC over alleged diversion of funds and money laundering.

Halilu Yusuf, the presiding judge, had ordered a trial-within-trial in the matter to enable the court to determine whether all the extra-judicial statements made by the former AGF to the EFCC should be admitted in evidence.

Chris Uche, counsel to Ahmed, alleged that the EFCC had assured the defendant that he would not be subjected to any trial if he gave details that would implicate a former minister of finance and some governors.

Idris urged the court to reject the said confessional statements which he said were obtained in violation of the provisions of sections 15(4) and 17(1) (2) of the ACJA 2015, as his lawyers were not present when he made them and the sessions were not recorded.

But the EFCC’s lead investigator, Hayatudeen Suleiman, denied the allegation.

Suleiman, who appeared as a witness on Thursday, said the statements by the first defendant were obtained voluntarily.

Under cross-examination by Rotimi Jacobs, prosecution counsel, the witness stated that “there was no such deception of promise made to the first defendant”.

“After he was cautioned, he was told that the matter would end up in court. The defendant came along with his legal representative in the person of Gbenga Adeyemi, who witnessed the statement from the beginning to the end and he also signed,” the witness told the court.

“We asked questions which he answered. The 1st defendant voluntarily made the statements and was also notified that it would be used in court for trial.