A Federal Capital Territory, high court in Abuja, Nigeria, has ordered the remand of suspended Nigeria’s accountant General, Ahmed Idris to the Kuje correctional facility.
The court also ordered the remand of Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited in the same facility.
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Justice Adeyemi Ajayi ordered that Idris and his co-defendants be kept in Kuje Correctional facility pending the hearing of their bail applications on July 27.
The remand order followed their arraignment in court Nigeria’s Anti-graft Agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday on a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of over one hundred and nine billion naira.
The EFCC alleged that “Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja, being a public servant by virtue of his position as the Accountant General of the Federation accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of 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.
“The sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine oil producing Sates in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and 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, the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with certain property, to about (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.”
The prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs SAN, Rotimi Jacobs, prayed the court to grant the prosecution leave to prefer a criminal charge under section 109 of ACJA against the defendants.
Justice Adeyemi Ajayi, granted the application as prayed.
Consequently, the 14-count charge was read to the defendants to which they pleaded not guilty.
Counsel to the first defendant Chief Chris Uche SAN, while making an oral application prayed the court to grant Idris bail.
But counsel to EFCC Rotimi Jacobs, said the application must be done in writing.
Responding, Uche said pending when he files a written bail application, the court should consider that the defendants who has been on administrative bail.
“Since there is no complaint that they have breached any of the conditions, they should be allowed to continue on that bail,” he said.
He said his client had to take the next available flight from Kano just to be able to make it for trial
However, Jacobs opposed the application and detain the defendants.
He noted the media and the world are watching and that it would send the wrong signal if they are allowed to go home without hearing the bail application.
Ruling on the application, the judge held that “the court is not a puppet to dance to the rhythm of public opinion.”
“In the interest of justice for all, they are remanded in prison custody,” she held.
Justice Ajayi adjourned to the 27th of July to hear on the bail application.
