‘N109bn Fraud’: EFCC detective denies promising ex-AGF Idris soft landing if he indicts ex-finance minister, others

On Wednesday, a detective from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mahmud Tukur denied promising former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, soft-landing if he indicted the immediate past Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed and others, in his confessional statements.

Tukur testified against the AGF in a 14-count charge bordering on fraud to the tune of N109,485,572,691.

ThePressNG recalls that the EFCC arraigned Idris before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in July 2022.

He was arraigned alongside Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, Tukur insisted that all the 13 statements involving Idris and his lawyers were voluntarily made.

The detective said the ex-AGF was interviewed in the presence of his lawyers before filling out 11 statements at different times.

Tukur added that 2 out of the 13 confessional statements were volunteered willingly and that Idris decided to fill out the two documents on his own.

Tukur added,  

Under cross-examination by Idris’ lawyer, Chris Uche SAN, Tukur maintained that EFCC has a standard procedure for getting a statement from a suspect.

ThePressNG, however, admitted that the EFCC did not send a letter of invitation to Idris at the initial stage of its investigation.

He explained that Idris requested to fill out his second confessional statement by himself.

ThePressNG also admitted his signature as a detective was not on several statements.

After ThePressNG was cross-examined, the judge adjourned to May 15 for trial within the trial.