N109 BILLION FRAUD: COURT APPROVES AGF'S SUSPENDED BAIL

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By Adeniyi Onaara

Ahmed Idris, the former Accountant-General of the Federation, was granted bail on Thursday by an Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama.

Just a week prior, the court had remanded the former AGF in custody. Idris and his co-defendants must remain in Kuje Correctional Facility until their bail requests are heard, the court ruled last Friday.

The former AGF was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which led to the remand order.

Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Ltd. were the other defendants.

A 14-count theft and criminal breach of trust allegation against the accused is being pursued for a total of N109, 485,572,691.9.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had previously granted the former AGF and his two co-defendants administrative bail, but in his ruling on Thursday, the presiding judge, Justice Adeyemi Ajayi, adopted all of its terms and restrictions.

Despite the seriousness of the accusations against them, the defendants are nonetheless entitled to bail under the due process and supremacy of the law.

According to Ajayi, the EFCC never claimed that the accused misbehaved while out on administrative bail.

The accused were also prohibited from leaving the Federal Capital Territory without the court’s approval, according to Ajayi’s order.

If any of them do not show up for the trial, Justice Ajayi threatened to remove their bail.

The defendants must sign a statement promising to abide by the EFCC’s bail requirements, the court further ordered.

The defendants must wait until the case has been expensed before obtaining a substitute passport, after giving the commission their original passports, according to Justice Ajayi’s decision.

Because the accusations against the defendants have not yet been established, Ajayi made the decision.

The bail decision was made, and then the trial started.