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Alleged N109bn Fraud: Court Adjourns Former AGF Idris Case Till October 13 For Adoption Of Final Written Address

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Alleged N109bn Fraud: Court Adjourns Former AGF Idris Case Till October 13 For Adoption Of Final Written Address

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, adjourned the trial-within-trial in the alleged N109.5 billion fraud case involving a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, till October 13, 2026, for adoption of final written addresses.
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Idris is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside Geoffrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on a 14-count charge bordering on stealing and fraudulent diversion of public funds to the tune of N109.5 billion.

The trial-within-trial was ordered by the court on November 22, 2022, following an application by counsel to the first defendant, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, who alleged that statements made by his client to the EFCC were obtained through deception and inducement.

At the resumed proceedings on Wednesday, defence counsel, Chris Uche SAN, informed the court that the matter was for continuation of trial-within-trial and that the defence had a witness to present.

The defence subsequently called Hajiya Safiya Idris as its witness.

Led in evidence by Uche, the witness identified herself as Safiya Idris of Efab Estate, Guzape, Abuja. She told the court that she had a long-standing family relationship with the first defendant and regarded him “like a father.”

Recounting events of June 6, 2022, she stated that she visited the EFCC Headquarters in Abuja to see Idris but was initially informed that he was not in the detention facility.

“I was told he wasn’t in the cell but in the main building. I went there to see if I would be able to see him but I wasn’t allowed. We waited for a long time before I was eventually allowed to enter the office that he was in,” she said.

According to her, upon gaining access to the office, she was asked by two EFCC officers identified as Hayatu and Mahmud to sign as a witness to a statement being written by the defendant.

When shown the statement in question, she confirmed that the signature and handwriting on it were hers.

Explaining why she wrote that the statement was taken in her presence, Safiya said she had been assured that Idris would be released.

Under cross-examination by the prosecution counsel A.O Atolagbe, the witness admitted that she was neither invited nor investigated by the EFCC and that she went to the Commission on her own volition.

She further alleged that the defendant had already written the statement before she was allowed into the office and that she only signed after the statement had been concluded.

Asked whether the first defendant knew she was at the EFCC before she was called into the office, she answered in the negative, adding that he only became aware of her presence when she was invited in to sign the document.

The prosecution also drew her attention to the contents of the June 6, 2022 statement, particularly the portion which read: “In addition to my last statement, I wish to state that I am writing this statement in the presence of Hajiya Idris Safiya.”

When asked if that portion was written before she entered the interrogation room, the witness replied that she did not know at what stage it was written.

She also confirmed that her name did not appear on any of the other statements made by the defendant because she was not present when those statements were taken.

When asked why she did not lodge any complaint after signing the statement if she felt compelled to do so, she admitted that she did not make any complaint and agreed that she was under no obligation to write anything for the EFCC since she was not under investigation.

Court

Court

However, she insisted that she was not lying when she wrote that the statement was taken in her presence.

Following the conclusion of her testimony and with no further questions from the prosecution, the witness was discharged.

Thereafter, Uche informed the court that the defence was closing its case in the trial-within-trial.

Justice Halilu subsequently adjourned the matter till October 13, 2026, for adoption of final written addresses.
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How Governor Eno Connects Akwa Ibom Communities with Dualized Roads

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Akwa Ibom

How Governor Eno Connects Akwa Ibom Communities with Dualized Roads

The infrastructural development plan of the Akwa Ibom State Government includes the linking up of all the 31 LGAs with dualized roads from Uyo, the state capital.
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With the addition of Nsit Atai and Okobo, we now have about 18 LGAs linked with dualized roads from Uyo.

The dualization of Ibesikpo Asutan-Nsit Ibom-Nsit Ubium roads to link up with the Eket-Etinan-Uyo dualized road is ongoing right now and scheduled for completion in 2027.

Also ongoing is the dualization of the Okobo-Udung Uko – Mbo road to the site of the Ibom Deep Seaport.

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno had expressed the readiness of his administration to dualize the road from Ikot Ekpene to Ikono and Ini LGAs in his 2nd term.

Hopefully, at the end of the tenure of the current administration in 2031, the number of dualized roads linking the 31 LGAs may increase to 24.

With this number, Gov Umo Eno will hold the record of constructing the highest number of dualized roads (8 LGAs) from Uyo to the 31 LGAs in the State.

Akwa Ibom

Akwa Ibom

This is aside the construction and dualization of other roads in the state capital like the Uyo Village road and Section 4 of Ring Road 3 which is scheduled for commissioning this November.

The combined tenure of Obong Victor Attah, Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel linked up 16 LGAs with dualized roads from Uyo the state capital.
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Customs Strengthens Inter-Agency Collaboration with Six Agencies to Tackle Money Laundering

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Nigerian Customs

Customs Strengthens Inter-Agency Collaboration with Six Agencies to Tackle Money Laundering

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has engaged six federal government agencies to strengthen inter-agency collaboration in tackling cross-border illicit financial flows, money laundering, corruption, drug trafficking, terrorism financing, and other related offences.
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The three-day visit, held from 27 to 29 October 2026, was led by the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shuaibu. It focused on deepening strategic cooperation and intelligence sharing among the agencies to combat financial crimes and other illicit activities.

The agencies include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Speaking during the engagements, Shuaibu expressed that the initiative was aimed at enhancing inter-agency coordination in addressing threats to Nigeria’s economy and national security. “The sole objective of this mission is to effectively detect and disrupt cross-border illicit financial flows. The measures include field visits to selected border stations to assess practical Customs control measures and engage with relevant agencies.” Shuaibu Said.

In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Intelligence Security Service Sector, Muhammed-Mustapha, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its efforts in combating smuggling and reinforcing border security. He also noted the longstanding relationship between the two institutions. “When NFIU was created, NCS was the first to collaborate with us. No particular agency understands things better than how Customs does globally,” Mustapha said.

Meanwhile, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Mentoring Team, led by Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, interacted with the agencies on approaches to addressing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). The team also called for stronger collaboration with the NCS to ensure the success of the initiative.

Nigerian Customs

Nigerian Customs9

During the engagements, participants identified communication gaps, bureaucracy and database privacy concerns, among others, as impediments to effective inter-agency collaboration. The discussions also explored measures to address these challenges and strengthen institutional synergy.

The engagements also featured the presentation of NCS awards and WCO certificates to the agencies, demonstrating the Service’s commitment to enhance collaboration in tackling threats to Nigeria’s economy and national security.
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Nigeria Customs Move to Neutralise Online Scams, Fake News with AI Data Tracking

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Nigeria Customs

Nigeria Customs Move to Neutralise Online Scams, Fake News with AI Data Tracking

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun efforts to neutralise rampant fake news and online scams that damage the Service’s image by integrating new-age digital data-tracking intelligence tools.
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The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this on Friday, 30 October 2026, at the just concluded Neccipr Roundtable ’26 Edition held in Lagos, with the Theme: Algorithm Influence & Public Relations.

Maiwada explained that as a communicator, it is important to ensure the general public understands and accepts why officers carry out their duties.

“The role of AI cannot be over emphasized especially within our operations. Over the years AI has been deployed in our core operational duties as well as strategic communication. AI has also been deployed to aid risk management, which involves assessment of the risks in imported items so that they can be categorised according to their different levels of risk to enable appropriate customs interventions,” he said.

Maiwada explained that artificial intelligence can also analyse sentiment and understand how people perceive Customs activities. He added that the Service is using every available platform to establish facts while working with other agencies to arrest those behind misleading information.

Earlier, the convener of the Neccipr Roundtable ’26, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, said the program began with a simple conviction: public relations professionals must not only manage messages but also lead national discourse.

Nigeria Customs

Nigeria Customs

“This year, we confront a question that touches every one of us. When machines decide what we see, who is really shaping the Nigerian mind? Who now controls the flow of information that shapes what Nigerians believe? We live in a rapidly changing world, powered by AI, where a single algorithm can shape political narratives, throw out conspiracy theories, and dictate what millions read, believe, and share,” she said.

The event also included keynote addresses from the President and Chairman of the Governing Council, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, and former Federal Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, among other invited dignitaries, showing professional readiness to sustain the standard of credible information
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