Abuja – A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a former Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and three other defendants be remanded in the Kuje Correctional Facility.
Mr Idris and his co-defendants were arraigned before Justice Adeyemi Ajayi on Friday following charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.4 billion.
The former AGF and his fellow respondents – Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited, earlier pleaded not guilty to the 14 count charge levelled against them by the EFCC.
Counsel to Mr Idris, Chris Uche, SAN, prayed the court to allow the defendant to continue enjoying the administrative bail granted to him by the anti-graft agency.
Mr Uche added that the EFCC has the defendants’ international passport, and as such they should be allowed to come back on Monday to take their bail application.
The lawyer asked the court to permit the defendants to come back on Monday and not remand them at any correctional facility.
However,the EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, said the administrative bail ended once the charge was filed.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Adeyemi Ajayi held that the court is not a puppet to dance to the rhythm of public opinions.
Interjecting, Idris’ counsel pleaded with the court that due to the porous security nature of the Kuje correctional facility, his client should be remanded in the EFCC custody.
Justice Ajayi, however, repeatedly ordered the Senior Advocate to sit down, stressing that nobody can overturn her orders before her.
She subsequently adjourned proceedings till the 27th of July for hearing of bail applications.
