Disgraced ex-AGF gets bail, movement restricted to Abuja

Ahmed Idris, the disgraced former accountant-general of federation facing trial for stealing N109billion, has been granted bail and his movement restricted within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The EFCC arraigned Idris and his three accomplices on 14-count charge bordering on money laundering, fraud, and stealing.

Idris’ previous attempts for a bail failed, as EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacob warned doing so would send a wrong signal to the public.

At the resumption of trial on Thursday, trial judge Adeyemi Ajayi admitted Idris and his co-defendants to bail.

Ajayi upheld the earlier terms of the defendants’ bail conditions.

“In line with the due process and supremacy of the law, the defendants are still entitled to bail, irrespective of the enormity of the allegations against them.

“The EFCC did not in any of its processes, stated that the defendants misbehaved while on administrative bail”, Ajayi ruled.

In addition to the bail conditions, the judge stated that the defendants must submit their passports to the court registrar and must not procure another travelling passport. He also ordered that all the defendants must always present themselves for trial, otherwise he would revoke their bail.

Ajayi gave the ruling on grounds that the allegations against the defendants are yet to be proven.

Facts of the case.

The EFCC accused Idris, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Ltd of criminal breach of trust and conspiracy in the stealing of N109, 485,572,691.9.