Following the scandalous indictment of the commissioners and officials of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMRDC) in the whopping N109 Billion suspected theft by suspended accountant General of the Federation Alhaji Ahmed Idris, a call has gone to President Muhammadu Buhari to disband the commission or suspend the commissioners pending the determination of the suit instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“We are seriously worried that long after it emerged that the commissioners and top officers of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and fiscal Commission per took in the alleged heist of N109 Billion of public fund, President Muhammadu Buhari has yet to take immediate, open and transparent measures to order their arrest and immediate disbandment of the board or at least to suspend all the indicted commissioners pending the outcome of the prosecution initiated by the anti-graft body.

“Does it mean that because the officials are members of the ruling All Progressive Congress that they are above the law of the land in such a way that they can’t be brought to book for alleged bribe?”

HURIWA recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), released fresh facts on how the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, compromised the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS), and carted away billions of naira belonging to the Government.

HURIWA quoting a press release made available to newsmen by the EFCC stressed that Idris and his co-defendants: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman are standing trial in a N109 billion fraud before Justice A. O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, FCT, Maitama, Abuja.

Besides, HURIWA citing EFCC’S media release revealed that EFCC said at the resumed trial of the case on Thursday, July 28, 2022, Chief Investigative Officer of the case and Prosecution Witness One, PW1, Chief Superintendent of the EFCC, CSE Hayatu Sulaiman Ahmed, while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, told the court that the investigations by the EFCC showed that, Idris while in office, compromised key units under his care like the TSA, GIFMIS and IPPIS that led to loss of funds by the government.

Idris allegedly used the funds in constructing properties like the Gezawa Exchange Limited, Gezawa Integrated Farms, and Kano City Mall.

“We had cause to invite several individuals who had transactions with the Gezawa Commodity and Exchange Limited and found one Baita Ibrahim Kura of B I Kura Ibrahim, a Bureau de Change, BDC, operator based in Kano.

“We invited him and cautioned him and he voluntarily wrote a statement, claiming he made several payments like N208 million into Gezawa Commodity Market with Jaiz bank,” he said.

Also, HURIWA quoted EFCC as saying that the witness further told the court that Ibrahim also admitted to have paid the sum of N866 million to one Architect Mustapha Mukhtar of Marsc Construction Limited for the construction of Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

“My Lord, investigation showed that, Ibrahim received United States dollars from the first defendant.

“We also found out that agitation from the nine oil producing states, regarding derivation from the excess crude account, was tabled before the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC and the committee came up with a figure of about $2.2 billion as what was due to the nine oil producing states, and these amount was to be deducted over a 60 months period on quarterly basis,” he said.

The witness further told the court that 11.5% of this figure amounting to N44.7 billion was put aside as payments to some public officials to facilitate payments to the oil producing states.

HURIWA citing EFCC’S media release stated thus: “After the determination of this committee, my lord, some companies, Akindele and Co, a company owned by the second defendant, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele was presented under the guise of consultancy.

“My Lord, until recently, the second defendant, Akindele was a staff in the office of the AGF, and Technical Assistant to the first defendant.

“Investigation revealed that N84.39 billion was paid into Akindele’s bank accounts.

“According to the witness, another transaction occurred on February 12, 2021 with N 21billion paid into his account.”

The witness further revealed that aside the payment of money that was made on February 12, 2021, other payments were made on May 6, 2021, and between July 28, 2021 and November 5, 2021 amounting to N94.39 billion.

Ahmed further told the court funds were shared to some groups, including the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, represented by one of its Commissioners, Peace Akomas, former Deputy Governor of Abia State, who allegedly collected N18.8 billion.

He said the money was withdrawn by Akindele and converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas. “The second group is the AGF group and it got a total sum of N18.01 billion.

The third group, the Commissioners of Finance in the nine oil producing states, received N21.4 billion.

The money was withdrawn by Akindele, converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas on behalf of the group.

“The fourth group is called the Yari group. This group received N17.15 billion.

“The entirety of the sum was transferred to the account of Fimex Professional Services on the instruction of the representative of this group: Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara state governor.

“The remaining N8.9 billion was retained by the second defendant.

“Furthermore, N4.29 billion was converted to US dollars by Akindele as appreciation for the consultancy contract, and the balance of N4.6 billion was given to Akindele,” the statement revealed.

HURIWA confirmed that EFCC disclosed that Ahmed confirmed to the court that all his disclosures were confirmed by the defendants in writing, in their statements admitting to have collected all the monies.

Disturbed that all the indicted officials mentioned as partakers in the massive fraud to have ever been perpetrated in the modern history of Nigeria by public officials are yet to be arrested, the Rights group wondered why just the civil servants are been prosecuted whereas members of such a sensitive body as the Revenue Mobilization agency are walking free apparently because of their partisan affiliation to the All Progressives Congress.

The Rights group has also commended the EFCC for going this far to uncover the alleged fraud and believes that justice of the matter will be done by the competent court of law.

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