The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has on Monday announced the arrest of Nigeria’s Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris for allegedly diverting funds amounting to N80 billion.
Driving the news
EFCC’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the news in a statement stating that the commission arrested Mr. Ahmed Idris after the AGF failed to honor several invitations from the anti-graft body.
- The allegations against the two-time appointee of President Muhammadu Buhari includes diversion of funds through consultancies, family members and close associates and money laundering through real estate investments in Abuja and his birth state, Kano.
- The commission is currently being held by Mr. Ahmed Idris at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.
What you should know
- Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Mr Ahmed Idris as the Accountant General of the Federation in 2015 and reappointed him in 2019 amidst calls from labour groups for the official to resign after he turned 60 years old.
- Mr. Ahmed Idris is a certified member of professional bodies such as Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, the Certified Institute of Cost Management of Nigeria, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, a Fellow of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria and Fellow amongst others.
The big picture
The arrest of the federal government appointee by the anti-graft body is the third time in just three months that the EFCC is arresting a top official at both state and federal level with the other two being immediate past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano and Oyo State Accountant-General (AG), Alhaji Gafar Bello. A statistic that doesn’t paint the right picture of Nigeria’s political leaders.