Buhari’s cabinet members, other appointees fingered in AGF Idris’ N200bn fraud 

Some prominent members of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration have been fingered in the ongoing probe of the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.

A highly placed source in the anti-corruption circle has informed that the total sum in the series of coordinated scams traced to the AGF is up to N200 billion.

The source noted that too many people in the President’s cabinet, elected office holders at national and state levels, heads of agencies and senior civil servants are neck-deep in the scam.

It would be recalled that Idris was nabbed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on May 16 in connection with a series of fraud that was initially thought to be in the region of N80 billion.

He has been held by the Commission for weeks and he is said to be volunteering a lot of information regarding the dramatis personae involved in the alleged sleaze.

Three days after his arrest, Idris was suspended by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Idris, to enable him face his probe.

An overseeing AGF, Mr Anamekwe Nwabuoku, was named in his place on May 22.

In a twist of fate, it became clear hours after that announcement that the new overseeing AGF has also had a scandal-ridden career in the civil service.

According to credible sources familiar with his antecedents, the EFCC is also investigating him for a series of graft allegations and Nwabuoku is known to visit the headquarters on a regular basis as part of the investigation routine.

Some of the allegations against him include overpayment to himself in previous MDAs he served.

Some of the properties he acquired fraudulently and being recovered by anti-corruption agencies.

One of the sources informed that perhaps his major financial crime was allegedly committed while he was the Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Defense where he was said to have enriched himself with internal security funds.

He was allegedly involved in other fraudulent activities and using the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) to steal the salaries of Federal Government staff.

It was learnt that what has been unearthed and made public in the AGF Idris whole scandal is infinitesimal compared to what is coming.

According to the source, since the commencement of the entire investigations, Idris’ confessional statements, traces of the funds, withdrawals and deposits in local and foreign currencies, have led to the arrest of former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, who like Idris, is still in EFCC custody at the time of filing this report.

Also arrested on Sunday in connection with the investigation was the Chairman and Managing Director of Finex Professional, Anthony Yaro.

The findings so far, the source said, will lead to more arrests.

It was gathered from the source that as the investigation progresses, a lot of powerful and influential figures in this administration have been fingered to have benefitted from the diversion of N200 billion, adding that the EFCC would soon swoop on those suspects for interrogation and prosecution.

(Economic Confidential).