The trial of Ahmed Idris, the former Accountant-General of the Federation, took a significant turn on Tuesday when a defense witness admitted in court to signing a statement attributed to the defendant during proceedings at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.
Idris is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) along with Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, facing 14 charges related to the alleged theft and fraudulent diversion of public funds amounting to ₦109.5 billion.
During the session presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu, the second defense witness, Haruna Alabi, confirmed under cross-examination by EFCC attorney Oluwaleke Atolagbe that he signed the back of a statement allegedly made by Idris on May 17, 2022.
Alabi’s testimony occurred during a trial-within-a-trial ordered by the court on November 22, 2022, after the defense claimed that Idris’ statements were obtained through coercion and deception.
He explained that he visited the EFCC office on May 17, 2022, with other directors from the Office of the Accountant-General to see Idris, who was in custody at the time.
“He was in the custody of the EFCC. To clarify, he was not the AGF. I and other directors went to see him at the EFCC,” Alabi stated.
Alabi, who confirmed he is a lawyer, acknowledged being the only legal professional among those who visited and admitted to signing the back of Idris’ statement.
However, he also noted that he was not invited by the EFCC and had no prior contact with investigators before the visit. When further questioned, Alabi stated he did not participate in writing or taking the statement and could not confirm whether Idris personally made the confession attributed to him.
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When shown a part of the document indicating that the statement was made voluntarily and signed, he maintained that he was not present when it was taken.
Earlier in his testimony, Alabi confirmed his name and signature on Exhibit B3, the statement dated May 17, 2022, during questioning by defense attorney Kanayo Okafor.
Justice Halilu then adjourned the case to June 24, 2026, for the continuation of the trial-within-a-trial and instructed that all remaining witnesses be present at the next hearing.
