EFCC’s N30 Billion Recovery From Suspended Accountant-General,
CSO Hails Court Ruling

A Lagos-based Civil Society Organisation, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), has hailed the ruling on interim forfeiture of money and properties belonging to suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.

Idris, alongside three others, is facing corruption charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N109 billion fraud.

The chairman of the commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, during the 62nd Ministerial Media Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on December 15, said the Commission had recovered over N30 billion from Idris.

“On the case of the former Accountant General of the Federation Idris Ahmed, we at the EFCC have recovered N30 billion from him,” Bawa had said.

On December 13, 2022, a Federal Capital Territory High Court, presided over by M.A. Hassan, a judge, while ruling on a motion ex parte marked M/1149/2022, filed by the EFCC, had granted the Commission interim forfeiture of money and properties recovered from the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation.

In a statement on Saturday, CACOL expressed delight at the ruling of the court, adding that it hopes it will serve as an eye opener to others.

“We at CACOL are elated at this ruling, we have always believed in the principle of dignity of labour. It is so shameful and pathetic that some of those our youths are looking up to as professionals in their chosen field of endeavours are engaging in sharp practices. How else can one describe the situation where someone who is supposed to be a man of impeccable character, scrupulous and a role model to million others in his profession can easily soil his reputation by dipping his hand in the national cookie jar. His likes have continually dragged the name of the country in the mud and are so bold to flaunt their ill-gotten wealth in public. This is why culprits of corruption need to be deprived of their evil accumulations, wherever and whenever they are found out, and made to face the consequence of their acts as a just supper,” the statement quoted CACOL’s Chairman, Debo Adeniran as saying.

The CACOL Boss added, “We therefore hail the decision of the judge, Justice M.A Hassan to order the interim forfeiture of the said assets and funds of the accused after taking into consideration the evidences presented before the court. We hope the ruling of the court will serve as an eye opener to those who are still perpetrating this heinous crime against humanity in our various ministries and parastatals and make them have a rethink so that together we can all build and live in a corruption free society”