BENJAMIN OMOIKE
Some Ministers in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari and chieftains of political parties have been implicated in the N80 billion alleged fraud perpetrated by the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF).
The AGF, Mr. Ahmed Idris, who has since been suspended from office following the discovery of the alleged N80 billion fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was arrested on May 16.
However, he was granted administrative bail by the EFCC on June 2. Since then, nothing has been heard of the case.
But a top source in the anti-graft agency has informed that the Commission was still investigating the case due to the number of high-level government officials that have allegedly been implicated in the fraud.
He said, “Some Ministers, Senators, party big-wigs, serving and former Governors are involved. It is a clique. I can’t mention names now but as they are invited the names shall be mentioned for all to know.
“There are more than the mentioned people involved, so everybody involved has to be investigated in order to establish their level of involvement. Also, we don’t want to go to court without having enough evidence to win the case.
“So, we are preparing to go to court soon. There might, however, be a political solution as per the intervention of powerful forces. This can be agreed upon based on the caveat that all parties involved must return every Kobo they took.”
Recall that EFCC operatives had intercepted the suspended AGF in Kano and flew him to Abuja.
The EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, had said in a statement following his arrest that: “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 N80 billion (Eighty Billion Naira only).”
The legal department of the Commission had secured a court order to detain him within 24 hours after he was arrested in Kano.
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, subsequently issued a letter conveying Idris’ suspension from office on May 18.
The letter warned Idris not to come anywhere near the office during his period of suspension.
The suspended AGF is also alleged to own property in Kano, Abuja, and Lagos, some of which may be forfeited to the Federal Government.
