Abuja – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has refuted claims that it coerced former Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, into confessing his involvement in a N109 billion fraud.
An EFCC operative, Abdulhamid I. Muri, testified before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, asserting that Idris’s statement was given voluntarily. Muri, whose responsibilities include intelligence gathering and undercover operations, was the third Prosecution Witness (PW3) in the ongoing trial of Idris.
The EFCC had arraigned Idris along with Godfrey O. Akindele, Mohammed K. Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on July 22, 2022, on 14 counts related to money laundering.
During Tuesday’s session, Muri testified that the EFCC did not promise Idris immunity from prosecution in exchange for his statement. He recounted his first encounter with Idris, facilitated by the former EFCC Kano Zonal Commander, Faruk Dogon Daji. Muri explained that Idris had come to submit documents pertinent to the investigation.
“On June 10, 2022, the first defendant met with Mr. Faruk Dogon Daji, who then directed me to assist Idris in writing a statement about the documents he submitted,” Muri said. “Idris, accompanied by one Lawal Badamasi, followed me to my office. The office is an open space where anyone can come in and go out. I informed him of his rights, administered a cautionary word, and he voluntarily provided his statement, signing and dating it.”
Muri emphasized that there were no promises made to Idris regarding non-prosecution. “The defendant claims his statement was made based on a promise of no prosecution. This is not true, my Lord. I am not the investigation officer; I was merely directed to take his statement,” Muri clarified.
Additionally, Muri noted that Idris was not detained at the EFCC’s Kano Zonal Command facility.
After Muri’s cross-examination, Justice Halilu Yusuf discharged the witness and adjourned the trial till October 29, 2024, for the defense’s response in the trial-within-trial.
The proceedings continue to unfold as the court examines the legitimacy of Idris’s confession and the integrity of the EFCC’s investigative processes.
