Nigeria’s Accountant-General, Ahmed Idris, has been arrested over alleged money laundering and diversion of public funds, up to the tune of 80 billion Naira, an approximation of 200 Million US Dollars.
Those familiar with the development said Mr Idris was intercepted in Kano by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday evening and is being flown to Abuja, the nation’s capital, for interrogation.
Our sources said the EFCC has for sometime now been investigating a case of diversion of at least N80 billion in public funds which was allegedly laundered through some bogus contracts.
The companies used in laundering the funds have allegedly been linked to family members and associates of the accountant-general, investigators said.
Our sources further said after progress was made in the investigation, Mr Idris was summoned repeatedly for interrogation but he failed to honour the invitations.
“We kept inviting him but he kept dodging us,” one of our sources said. “We were left with no choice than to keep him under watch and arrest him.”
The spokesperson for the EFCC could not be reached to comment for his story. One of his subordinates said he is travelling in the United Kingdom at this time.
However, a top EFCC official confirmed the development but asked not to be named because he had no permission to discuss the matter with the media.
Mr Uwujaren later issued a statement saying, “Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, May 16, 2022 arrested serving Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris in connection with diversion of funds and money laundering activities to the tune of N80billion( Eighty Billion Naira only).
“The Commission’s verified intelligence showed that the AGF raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.
“The funds were laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja.
Mr Idris was arrested after failing to honour invitations by the EFCC to respond to issues connected to the fraudulent acts.
President Muhammed Buhari appointed Mr Idris accountant-general on June 25, 2015. The president reappointed Mr Idris for a second four-year term in June 2019 despite attaining retirement age of 60.
The position became vacant at the time after the former Accountant General, Jonah Otunla, left office on June 12, 2015.
When President Buhari reappointed Mr Idris for a second four-year term in June 2019, it will be recalled that this unpopular reappointment had drawn very strong criticisms from labour groups which had insisted in very strong words that the accountant-general should retire after turning 60. Of course their objections and those of many well meaning Nigerians both home and abroad had fallen on the deaf ears of a government that is absolutely nonchalant to the opinion of the public and apathetic to their plight.
Ahmed Idris who is obviously one of the supposed untouchables of this government that has proven to the shock of Nigerians to be one of the most corrupt in the history of Nigeria, has most probably decided to utilise this second term feather his already padded nest or maybe to perfect his looking spree.
Just like his ilk in the robbery adventure of the coffer of the nation, we know that nothing will come out of his arrest.
Mr Idris, a native of Kano State, North-west Nigeria, was born on November 25, 1960, and was until his appointment in 2015 the Director of Finance and Accounts, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
