Nigeria’s Accountant General Suspended Indefinitely Over N80bn Fraud

Nigeria’s Accountant General has been suspended indefinitely over N80bn fraud.

Newsone reports that the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, on Wednesday, May 18, suspended the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris indefinitely.

This online news platform understands that the suspension of the Accountant General followed his indictment for fraud worth N80 billion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s antigraft agency.

Newsone Nigeria reports that the EFCC had in a statement by its Head of Media, Wilson Uwujaren on Monday, May 16, 2022, said that the EFCC operatives took Idris into custody for alleged massive fraud.

Newsone reports that Nigeria’s Accountant General was accused of diversion of funds and money laundering to the tune of N80billion. Uwujaren noted that the commission acted on verified intelligence against Idris.

He was said to have “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, the EFCC added.

Ahmed Idris.

A statement published on the micro-blogging site, Twitter by the EFCC reads as thus; “EFCC Arrests Ahmed Idris, Accountant General of the Federation, for N80billion Fraud Operatives of the 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,” the statement added.

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.

— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) May 16, 2022

Meanwhile, Newsone Nigeria reports that Idris was nabbed after failing to honour invitations to respond to issues connected to the alleged fraudulent acts.