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N109bn Fraud: How Suspended AGF Idris, Compromised TSA, GIFMIS, IPPIS, for Personal Gains

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3 years ago

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AGF Idris with accomplices in court

 

Fresh facts have emerged on how former suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris compromised the Treasury Single Account , TSA, Government Integrated Financial Management Information System , GIFMIS, Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system , IPPIS, and carted away billions of naira belonging to the government.

Idris and his co-defendants: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman are standing trial in a N109 billion fraud before Justice A. O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, FCT, Maitama, Abuja.

At the resumed trial of the case on Thursday, July 28, 2022 , Chief Investigative Officer of the case and Prosecution Witness One , PW1, Chief Superintendent of the EFCC , CSE Hayatu Sulaiman Ahmed, while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, told the court that the investigations by the EFCC showed that, Idris while in office, compromised key units under his care like the TSA, GIFMIS and IPPIS that led to loss of funds by the government. Idris allegedly used the funds in constructing properties like the Gezawa Exchange Limited, Gezawa Integrated Farms, and Kano City Mall.

“.. We had cause to invite several individuals who had transactions with the Gezawa Commodity and Exchange Limited and found one Baita Ibrahim Kura of B I Kura Ibrahim, a Bureau de Change, BDC, operator based in Kano. We invited him and cautioned him and he voluntarily wrote a statement, claiming he made several payments like N208 million into Gezawa Commodity Market with Jaiz bank”, he said.

The witness further told the court that Ibrahim also admitted to have paid the sum of N866 million to one Architect Mustapha Mukhtar of Marsc Construction Limited for the construction of Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange limited.

“My Lord, investigation showed that, Ibrahim received United States dollars from the first defendant. We also found out that agitation from the nine oil producing states, regarding derivation from the excess crude account, was tabled before the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC and the committee came up with a figure of about $2.2 billion as what was due to the nine oil producing states, and these amount was to be deducted over a 60 months period on quarterly basis”, he said.

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The witness further told the court that 11.5% of this figure amounting to N44.7 billion was put aside as payments to some public officials to facilitate payments to the oil producing states.

“After the determination of this committee, my lord, some companies, Akindele and Co, a company owned by the second defendant, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele was presented under the guise of consultancy .

“My Lord, until recently, the second defendant, Akindele was a staff in the office of the AGF, and Technical Assistant to the first defendant. Investigation revealed that N84.39 billion was paid into Akindele’s bank accounts. According to the witness, another transaction occurred on February 12, 2021 with N 21billion paid into his account.

The witness further revealed that aside the payment of money that was made on February 12, 2021, other payments were made on May 6, 2021, and between July 28, 2021 and November 5, 2021 amounting to N94.39 billion.

Ahmed further told the court funds were shared to some groups, including the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, represented by one of its Commissioners, Peace Akomas, former Deputy Governor of Abia State, who allegedly collected N18.8 billion . He said the money was withdrawn by Akindele and converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas.

“The second group is the AGF group and it got a total sum of N18.01 billion.

“The third group, the Commissioners of Finance in the nine oil producing states, received N21.4 billion. The money was withdrawn by Akindele, converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas on behalf of the group.

“The fourth group is called the Yari group. This group received N17.15 billion. The entirety of the sum was transferred to the account of Fimex Professional Services on the instruction of the representative of this group: Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara state governor.

The remaining N8.9 billion naira was retained by the second defendant. Furthermore, N4.29 billion was converted to US dollars by Akindele as appreciation for the consultancy contract, and the balance of N4.6 billion was given to Akindele.

Ahmed confirmed to the court that all his disclosures were confirmed by the defendants in writing, in their statements admitting to have collected all the monies.

Also, properties purchased with the funds by the first and third defendants were traced to various locations in Abuja, Kano, and Minna, Niger state.

Earlier, Justice Ajayi admitted the defendants to bail on the terms earlier granted by the EFCC. One of the bail conditions is that, the defendants should not leave the jurisdiction of the court without the court’s permission, and their passports deposited with the court’s registrar and in no circumstance should any of the defendants apply for an alternative passport, as doing so, will revoke the bail terms. They should also depose to an affidavit to adhere to the bail conditions.

In the EFCC’s bail conditions, Idris was granted bail in the sum of N18 billion, and two sureties. One of the sureties should be a Permanent Secretary, and the other a Director in the Federal Civil Service with bond of N100,000,000 ( One Hundred Million Naira) each.

Akindele was admitted to bail in the sum of N20 billion and two sureties who must be Directors in the Federal Civil Service and Usman was granted bail in the sum of N200 million and two Directors in like sum.

The Judge thereafter adjourned the matter to August 10 and 11, 2022 for continuation of trial.

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Tinubu Seeks Senate Confirmation for Magnus Abe, 20 Other Appointees 

Published

15 hours ago

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January 5, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

 

President Bola Tinubu has written two letters to the Senate, seeking confirmation of 21 nominees as board members of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in the first letter addressed to the Senate President, President Tinubu nominated Senator Magnus Abe to serve as the NUPRC board chair. Abe, who represented Rivers South East in the Senate for two terms, is a former NNPC board member and current chairman of the National Agency of the Great Green Wall.

Other nominees for the NUPRC board are Engineer Paul Yaro Jezhi, a former Trade Union Congress (TUC) chairman in Kaduna State, and Sunday Adebayo Babalola, a former deputy director of the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which was abolished by the PIA in 2021. Both men will serve as non-executive commissioners.

President Tinubu also nominated executive commissioners to the board.

They are: Muhammed Sabo Lamido, executive commissioner for finance; Mr Edu Inyang, executive commissioner for Exploration and Acreage; Justin Ezeala, executive commissioner for economic regulation and strategic planning; and Henry Darlington Oki, executive commissioner for Development and Production.

Others are Indabawa Bashari Alka, executive commissioner for corporate services and administration; Mahmood Tijani, executive commissioner for health, safety and environment; and Ms Olayemi Adeboyejo, as secretary and legal adviser.

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Recall that former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Lamido and Adeboyejo in 2022, while President Tinubu appointed Alka in 2023. Inyang, Ezeala, the former managing director of Nigerian Gas Marketing Limited, Mahmood Tijani, Babalola and Jezhi are new appointees of President Tinubu.

In his second letter to the Senate, President Tinubu nominated Mr Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji, a lawyer, as chairman of the NMDPRA board.

Adeniji has over 30 years of experience in energy and natural resources issues. He was a special technical adviser to the Minister of State for Petroleum on upstream and gas until 2018.

He was a member of the Oil & Gas Policy team at the World Bank, which advised the Government of Nigeria on the reform and restructuring of the petroleum sector, including the development of the Strategic Gas Plan for Nigeria. He is currently the managing partner at ENR Advisory.

President Tinubu also nominated Chief Kenneth Kobani and Mrs Asabe Ahmed as non-executive members. Kobani was a former minister of state for trade under President Jonathan and secretary to the government of Rivers State, under Nyesom Wike.

Also nominated for confirmation are Abiodun Adeniji, executive director of finance; Francis Ogaree, executive director of hydrocarbon; Oluwole Adama, executive director of midstream and Downstream gas infrastructure; and Dr Mustapha Lamorde, executive director of Corporate Services and Administration. President Tinubu appointed Adama in 2024, while late President Buhari appointed Lamorde and Adeniji in 2021 and Ogaree in 2022.

Other members of the NMDPRA board, as proposed by President Tinubu, are Mr Yahaya Nasamu Yinusa, executive director, distribution systems; Adeyemi Murtala Aminu, executive director, corporate services; Ms Modie Ogechukwu, executive director, economic regulation and strategic planning; and Barrister Olawale Dawodu, as board secretary and legal adviser. Dawodu is an industry player and was, at a time, the Financial Reporting Manager at Exxon Nigerian subsidiaries.

The President urged the Senate to approve the nominees expeditiously.

The requests followed the recent appointment of chief executive officers (CEOs) for the two regulatory agencies.

The Senate had confirmed Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as the chief executive officer (CEO) of NUPRC and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA toward the last days of December, 2025.

The President charged all the appointees and nominees to discharge their duties and responsibilities professionally as regulators of the oil and gas sectors.

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APC, Wike Trade Blazing Words Over Rivers Politics”

Published

15 hours ago

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January 5, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A fiery war of ” words has erupted between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following his warning to the party’s National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, to stay out of Rivers State politics.

During a “thank-you” visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area on Monday, Wike issued a stern caution to Basiru, accusing him of meddling in his state affairs.

“Let me warn those who come to Rivers State because you have heard we have N600bn—you come here, collect, and open your mouth to talk anyhow,” Wike declared.

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“Take this message to your National Secretary: Leave Rivers State alone. You have to be careful with the statements you make.”

In a sharp and direct response, Basiru fired back hours later in a personally signed statement. He questioned Wike’s authority to interfere in APC affairs, pointing out that the minister is not a member of the ruling party.

“My advice to him is that he should resign as Minister and face his obsession with Rivers politics,” Basiru stated.

He asserted his constitutional role as APC National Secretary extends nationwide and dismissed Wike’s remarks as intimidation.

“From my record, he isn’t a member of APC. I don’t see which authority or temerity he has to dabble into APC affairs,” Basiru said.

“I am one of the young Nigerians that confronted military dictatorship. I can’t be bullied by anybody, no matter how highly placed.”

Basiru also strongly denied any interest in Rivers State funds, labeling the suggestion as baseless and inconsistent with his record of integrity.

The clash underscores the ongoing tension between federal appointees and party officials, with Wike’s deep involvement in Rivers politics continuing to spark cross-party controversy even while serving as a minister under an APC-led government.

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KEDCO Promotes 1500 Staff In Major Staff Welfare, Performance Boost

Published

23 hours ago

on

January 5, 2026

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Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) has approved a merit-based promotion of 1,500 members of staff as part of its ongoing commitment to staff welfare, motivation, and building a performance-driven workforce.

In a statement released by the company’s spokesperson, Sani Bala Sani, it was highlighted that the promotion exercise is the most significant in the company’s history, underscoring KEDCO’s renewed commitment to human capital development as a critical pillar of its ongoing transformation agenda under the current core investor-Future Energies Africa (FEA) and management.

According to the statement, the exercise followed a comprehensive performance appraisal process and aligns with best practices in corporate governance, fairness, and transparency. It was designed to recognize deserving staff who met the eligibility criteria in line with the company’s conditions of service, and have demonstrated dedication, competence, and resilience in supporting the company’s operational turnaround and improved service delivery.

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Speaking on the development, KEDCO’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Abubakar Shuaibu Jimeta described the move as a strategic investment in people, noting that the staff remain the company’s greatest asset.

“This promotion exercise is not just a reward for hard work; it is a statement of intent. At KEDCO, we are building a culture where performance is recognized, excellence is encouraged, and our people are empowered to deliver value to our customers and stakeholders,” the MD/CEO said.

The development forms part of broader workforce reforms aimed at boosting productivity, enhancing customer experience, and positioning KEDCO to meet the evolving demands of the power sector. It also reflects the company’s resolve to foster industrial harmony and sustain a motivated workforce capable of driving operational efficiency.

In a statement by Sani Bala Sani Head corporate communications KEDCO reaffirms its commitment to continuous staff development, capacity building, and improved welfare, stressing that a motivated workforce remains central to achieving reliable, efficient, and customer-focused electricity distribution across its franchise area.

 

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