A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday adjourned proceedings in the ongoing trial-within-trial involving former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, until October 13, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses.
Justice Yusuf Halilu fixed the date after the defence concluded its case in the trial-within-trial, which is examining the circumstances under which statements made by Idris to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were obtained.
Idris is standing trial alongside Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on a 14-count charge relating to the alleged diversion and misappropriation of public funds amounting to N109.5 billion.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, defence counsel, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), presented Hajiya Safiya Idris as a witness.
While giving evidence, Safiya told the court that she shares a longstanding family relationship with the former Accountant-General and regards him as a father figure.
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 he was not in the detention facility but in another office within the premises.
Safiya said she waited for an extended period before she was eventually granted access to the office where Idris was being held.
She further testified that two EFCC officers, identified as Hayatu and Mahmud, requested that she sign as a witness to a statement allegedly being written by Idris.
When shown the document in court, she acknowledged that both the handwriting and signature attributed to her were genuine.
The witness explained that she signed the statement after being led to believe that Idris would be released. She also maintained that although she wrote that the statement was taken in her presence, Idris had already completed writing it before she entered the room.
Under cross-examination by prosecution counsel A.O. Atolagbe, Safiya admitted that she was not under investigation by the EFCC and had voluntarily gone to the commission’s office.
She also confirmed that Idris was unaware of her presence at the EFCC until she was invited into the office to sign the document.
The prosecution drew her attention to a section of the statement indicating that Idris was writing it in her presence. However, she told the court she could not determine at what stage that portion of the statement was inserted.
Safiya acknowledged that her name did not appear on any other statements made by Idris because she was not present when those statements were taken.
When asked why she failed to lodge any complaint if she believed she had been induced to sign the statement, she admitted that she made no such report. Nevertheless, she insisted that she had not lied in stating that the statement was taken in her presence.
Following the conclusion of her testimony, the prosecution indicated that it had no further questions, after which the witness was discharged.
The defence subsequently closed its case in the trial-within-trial.
The court had ordered the separate hearing on November 22, 2022, after Idris’ legal team challenged the admissibility of statements made to the EFCC, alleging that they were obtained through inducement and deceptive means.
Justice Halilu thereafter adjourned the matter until October 13, 2026, for parties to adopt their final written addresses.
