Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned the trial-within-trial in the alleged N109.5 billion fraud case involving a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, till October 13, 2026, for adoption of final written addresses.
Idris is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on a 14-count charge bordering on stealing and fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N109.5 billion.
The trial-within-trial was ordered by the court on November 22, 2022, following an application by counsel to the first defendant, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, who alleged that statements made by his client to the EFCC were obtained through deception and inducement.
At the resumed proceedings on Wednesday, defence counsel, Chris Uche SAN, informed the court that the matter was for continuation of trial-within-trial and that the defence had a witness to present.
The defence subsequently called Hajiya Safiya Idris as its witness.
Led in evidence by Uche, the witness identified herself as Safiya Idris of Efab Estate, Guzape, Abuja. She told the court that she had a long-standing family relationship with the first defendant and regarded him “like a father.”
Recounting events of June 6, 2022, she stated that she visited the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja to see Idris but was initially informed that he was not in the detention facility.
“I was told he wasn’t in the cell but in the main building. I went there to see if I would be able to see him but I wasn’t allowed. We waited for a long time before I was eventually allowed to enter the office that he was in,” she said.
According to her, upon gaining access to the office, she was asked by two EFCC officers identified as Hayatu and Mahmud to sign as a witness to a statement being written by the defendant.
When shown the statement in question, she confirmed that the signature and handwriting on it were hers.
Explaining why she wrote that the statement was taken in her presence, Safiya said she had been assured that Idris would be released.
Under cross-examination by the prosecution counsel A.O Atolagbe, the witness admitted that she was neither invited nor investigated by the EFCC and that she went to the Commission on her own volition.
She further alleged that the defendant had already written the statement before she was allowed into the office and that she only signed after the statement had been concluded.
Asked whether the first defendant knew she was at the EFCC before she was called into the office, she answered in the negative, adding that he only became aware of her presence when she was invited in to sign the document.
The prosecution also drew her attention to the contents of the June 6, 2022 statement, particularly the portion 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.”
When asked if that portion was written before she entered the interrogation room, the witness replied that she did not know at what stage it was written.
She also confirmed that her name did not appear on any of the other statements made by the defendant because she was not present when those statements were taken.
When asked why she did not lodge any complaint after signing the statement if she felt compelled to do so, she admitted that she did not make any complaint and agreed that she was under no obligation to write anything for the EFCC since she was not under investigation.
However, she insisted that she was not lying when she wrote that the statement was taken in her presence.
Following the conclusion of her testimony and with no further questions from the prosecution, the witness was discharged.
Thereafter, Uche informed the court that the defence was closing its case in the trial-within-trial.
Justice Halilu subsequently adjourned the matter till October 13, 2026, for adoption of final written addresses.
