EFCC first arrested Idris over an alleged missing N80 billion. It turns out that another N90 billion also disappeared under his watch, making a total of N170 billion.
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
Suspended Accountant General of the Federation facing an allegation of stealing N170 billion, Ahmed Idris, has been granted administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Recall that the EFCC first arrested Idris over an alleged missing N80 billion. It turns out that another N90 billion also allegedly disappeared under his watch, making a total of N170 billion.
The investigation of Idris has allegedly connected the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, to the obscene theft of Nigeria’s money.
Idris, according to the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwajaren, will be going home on administrative bail, despite the humongous loot which many analysts fear he could deploy in buying his freedom.
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Recall that the EFCC secured a court order to detain Idris for the period of the 16 days he was in their custody.
A Daily Trust report quoted Uwujaren as saying that the embattled senior government official was released on Thursday after meeting bail conditions, a privilege not always extended to small thieves.
”We only released him on administrative bail. He has been released from our custody for now,” Uwujaren was quoted in the report.
There have been speculations that a serving minister was also neck deep in the alleged N170 billion theft which has already cost Idris his job.
A few days after his arrest, Idris was suspended by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, saying the suspension would enable him to face his probe. Zainab was his boss.
Meanwhile, Yari has not been released after his arrest last Sunday at his Abuja residence.
The Daily Trust report quoted an EFCC source as saying: ”I can authoritatively confide in you that Yari is still with us. He’s still providing us necessary details on how over N100 billion disappeared from the suspended accountant-general of the Federation who has just been released.”
