The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has adjourned proceedings in the alleged N109.5 billion fraud case involving former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, to October 13, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses in the ongoing trial-within-trial.
Presiding judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, fixed the date after the defence closed its case on Wednesday.
Idris is standing trial alongside Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on a 14-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on alleged stealing and fraudulent diversion of public funds amounting to N109.5 billion.
The court had, on November 22, 2022, ordered a trial-within-trial following objections raised by counsel to the first defendant, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), who argued that statements allegedly made by Idris to EFCC investigators were obtained through inducement and deception.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Uche informed the court that the defence was ready to continue its case and subsequently called Hajiya Safiya Idris as a witness.
Testifying before the court, Safiya Idris, who resides in Efab Estate, Guzape, Abuja, described her relationship with the former AGF as a longstanding family bond, noting that she regarded him “like a father.”
She recounted visiting the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on June 6, 2022, in an attempt to see Idris while he was in the Commission’s custody.
According to her, officials initially informed her that Idris was not in the detention facility but in the main office building. After waiting for an extended period, she said she was eventually granted access to the office where he was being questioned.
Safiya told the court that upon entering the office, two EFCC officials identified as Hayatu and Mahmud requested that she sign as a witness to a statement allegedly being written by Idris. She confirmed ownership of the signature and handwriting attributed to her on the document presented in court.
She further testified that she agreed to sign the statement after being assured that Idris would be released.
During cross-examination by prosecution counsel, A.O. Atolagbe, the witness acknowledged that she was neither invited by nor under investigation by the EFCC and had visited the Commission on her own initiative.
She also stated that the defendant had already completed writing the statement before she entered the office and that her role was limited to signing the document after it had been concluded.
Safiya further admitted that Idris was unaware of her presence at the EFCC until she was invited into the office to witness the statement.
When confronted with a section of the June 6, 2022 statement which read, “In addition to my last statement, I wish to state that I am writing this statement in the presence of Hajiya Idris Safiya,” the witness said she could not determine at what point that portion was written.
She also confirmed that her name did not appear on any other statements attributed to Idris because she was not present when those statements were taken.
Responding to questions on why she failed to lodge a complaint if she believed the circumstances surrounding the statement were improper, Safiya admitted that she did not make any complaint and agreed that she was under no obligation to write or sign anything for the EFCC since she was not being investigated.
However, she maintained that she was truthful when she stated that the statement was taken in her presence.
Following the conclusion of her testimony, the prosecution indicated it had no further questions, after which the witness was discharged.
The defence thereafter formally closed its case in the trial-within-trial, prompting Justice Halilu to adjourn proceedings until October 13, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses.
