The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has cautioned a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, against granting bail to the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, AGF, Ahmed Idris, and two others.
Idris is standing trial, with three others, before the court for allegedly diverting about N109 billion from public coffers.
Idris, his Technical Assistant, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele; a director in the office of the AGF, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and a firm linked with Idris, Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, were arraigned on July 22 on a 14-count charge bordering on stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109,485,572,691.
Arguing the prosecution’s counter-affidavit yesterday, its lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), likened the alleged offences for which the defendants were being tried to terrorism and genocide.
Jacobs told the court that Idris and his co-defendants committed criminal breach of trust, which is a serious offence for which they should not be granted bail.
The prosecution lawyer urged the court to consider the nature, gravity and the weight of the charges, saying they are sufficient to warrant the refusal of their bail applications.
He described the case as a public office offence “which is equal to terrorism and genocide,” and should be handled with all seriousness.
