World · Africa · 1 hr ago
Abuja court to rule on former accountant general’s statements in N109.5bn case
A court in Abuja will decide whether to admit statements made by former Nigerian Accountant General Ahmed Idris during an investigation.
Idris is on trial with three co-defendants over alleged diversion of N109.5 billion in public funds.
They have denied the charges, which include stealing and fraudulent diversion of public money.
Idris says investigators obtained his statements through inducement and deception, and wants the statements and related video recordings excluded.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says the statements were voluntary and taken in witnesses’ presence.
The dispute has paused the main trial since November 2022, while a separate hearing examined whether the statements were voluntary.
Judge Yusuf Halilu reserved his decision after hearing both sides’ closing arguments and will tell them the date of the ruling; the main trial can resume after that decision.
An Abuja court has reserved its decision on whether to admit statements made by former Accountant General of the Federation Ahmed Idris in a case involving alleged diversion of N109.5 billion.
The statements are being challenged in a trial-within-a-trial focused on whether they were made voluntarily.
Idris’s defence says they were obtained through inducement and should be rejected, while the EFCC says they were voluntary.
The dispute has paused the main trial, which began in 2022.
Judge Yusuf Halilu said the court would communicate the date for its ruling to the parties.
- Who
- Former Accountant General Ahmed Idris, the EFCC and the FCT High Court in Maitama.
- What
- The court reserved its decision on whether to admit statements made by Idris during an investigation into alleged diversion of N109.5 billion.
- When
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026.
- Where
- The FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
- Why
- The court is determining whether the statements were voluntary and admissible as evidence.
Ahmed Idris’s defence
EFCC prosecution
Admissibility
Ahmed Idris’s defence
The defence says the statements were obtained through inducement and should be rejected.
EFCC prosecution
The EFCC says the statements were voluntary and should be admitted.
How statements were taken
Ahmed Idris’s defence
The defence alleges the statements were dictated and made after an assurance that Idris would not be charged.
EFCC prosecution
The EFCC says the statements were taken in the presence of witnesses and that they show no promise not to prosecute.
The substantive trial began after the EFCC arraigned Idris and three co-defendants on charges including diversion of N109.5 billion.
Judge Yusuf Halilu ordered a trial-within-a-trial after Idris’s defence challenged the statements.
The prosecution and defence presented closing arguments, and the judge reserved his decision on whether to admit the statements.
- Amount alleged
- N109.5 billion
- Statements under review
- 14 statements taken on 13 different dates
- Judge
- Yusuf Halilu
- Defendants
- Ahmed Idris, Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited
- Charges
- 14 counts, including stealing and fraudulent diversion of public funds
What people are saying
reject the documents (statements) as well as video recordings
taken in my presence
Sources
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