Accountant-General

By Hassana Abdullahi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi as the new Accountant General of the Federation, effective March 7, 2025. He will take over from Oluwatoyin Madein, who is set to retire on the same date.

Ogunjimi, 57, has over thirty years of experience in financial management. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and a Master’s in Accounting and Finance from the University of Lagos. 

Ogunjimi is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.

Before his appointment, Ogunjimi served as Director of Finance and Accounts at the Ministry of Finance and later as Director of Funds in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. He was appointed Acting Accountant General in December 2024.

President Tinubu expressed confidence in Ogunjimi’s ability to uphold professionalism and transparency in managing Nigeria’s public finances.

By Uzair Adam Imam

The suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, was reportedly re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged N109.5 billion.

Idris was re-arraigned alongside three others identified as Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

It was reported that Idris and the other accused were dragged before an FCT High Court, Maitama.

Recall that they were first arraigned on July 22 before a vacation judge, Justice Adeyemi Ajayi on a 13-count charge bordering on misappropriation to the tune of N109.5 billion.

The EFCC alleged that, Idris, between February and December 2021, accepted from Akindele, a gratification of N15. 1 billion.

The sum was said to have been a motive for accelerating the payment of 13 per cent derivation to the nine oil-producing states in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

EFCC also explained to the court that N84. 3 billion from the federal government’s account was converted by the first and second defendants between Feb. and Nov. 2021.

The EFCC reiterated that the offence contravenes sections 155 and 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.

However, the suspended Accountant General and the other defendants pleaded not guilty.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, is going to be arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Daily Reality gathered that the EFCC will arraign the former Accountant General Friday before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

However, Idris was said to have been arraigned alongside three others: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

Our reporters gathered that the accusations embodied a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9. 

One of the counts reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris, while being the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation between February and November 2021, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.”

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Federal Government has suspended the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, over the allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for laundering over N80 billion.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this in a statement signed Wednesday, May 18th, 2022.

The statement read in part, “following your recent arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of allegations of diversion of funds and money laundering, I write to convey your suspension from work without pay effective 18th May 2022.

“This is to allow proper and unhindered investigation into the serious allegations in line with Public Service Rules 030406.”

The Daily Reality reported that Idris was arrested by the EFCC over N80billion fraud Monday, May 16th 2022.

By Muhammad Sabiu

Ahmed Idris, Nigeria’s Accountant-General, has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of money laundering and misappropriation of state monies.

According to sources familiar with the situation, Mr Idris was apprehended in Kano by men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday evening and is being taken to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, for questioning.

According to sources who spoke with news reporters, the EFCC has been looking into a case of at least N80 billion in public funds being diverted through fake contracts.

According to investigators, the firms utilized to launder the monies were linked to family members and acquaintances of the accountant-general.

Mr. Idris, who was appointed by President Buhari on June 25, 2015, was said to have been avoiding honouring a series of invitations from the anti-graft agency.

The source was quoted as saying, “We kept inviting him but he kept dodging us. We were left with no choice than [sic] to keep him under watch and arrest him.”

However, the spokesperson for the EFCC did not comment on the matter as he could not be reached.