Details have emerged of how the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, received N15bn as a kickback to fast-track the payment of 13% derivation funds to oil-producing states.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the embattled AGF accepted the sum of N15,136,221,921.46 for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the receiving states.
The 13% derivation is a fund deducted from the federation revenue and credited to the oil-producing communities through the state governments as enshrined in section 162, sub-section 2 of the Nigerian constitution.
The state governments are expected to use the fund to develop communities where crude oil is extracted.
The beneficiary states include Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo, Ondo, Imo, Lagos and Abia.
Daily Trust reports that the nine oil-producing states in Nigeria shared N450.60 billion from the federation account through the 13 per cent derivation formula in 2021.
How it all started: Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had suspended Idris on May 28, 2022, over alleged diversion and money laundering activities to the tune of N80bn, this was two days after he had been arrested and detained by the EFCC for failing to honour an invitation.
The Minister said the suspension became necessary “to allow for proper and unhindered investigation into the serious allegations” against him, in line with Public Service Rules.
About a week after, reports say detectives of the EFCC had made startling discoveries about some transactions in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) and that another N90 billion scam had been unravelled.
The revelation: According to the EFCC, Idris allegedly accepted the N15bn gratification from one Olusegun Akindele, who worked as his Technical Assistant between February and November 2021.
Idris has been billed to appear before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja on Friday, July 22, 2022.
He will enter the dock alongside Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109,485,572,691.9
One of the charges reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 ( Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty One Naira and Forty Six Kobo) which sum was converted to the United States Dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing Sates in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section.”
