In a riveting turn of events at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Mahmud Tukur, a detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), staunchly refuted claims of offering leniency to the former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, in exchange for implicating the former Minister of Finance and others in a high-stakes corruption case.
The courtroom drama unfolded as Idris, facing trial alongside his co-defendants on 14 counts of embezzlement and breach of trust totaling N109.5 billion, alleged that the EFCC had coerced him into admitting guilt to further their agenda against other high-ranking officials.
Idris detailed how he was allegedly deceived by the EFCC, under the guise of aiding in the investigation against top government figures, including the Minister of Finance and certain governors, in connection to derivation funds.
However, Tukur, taking the stand as the second prosecution witness, vehemently denied any such deceitful tactics employed by the EFCC. He asserted that all statements attributed to Idris were voluntarily given, with proper legal counsel present during the interviews.
During cross-examination by Idris’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), Tukur defended the EFCC’s procedures, emphasizing that Idris had himself requested to provide his initial statement voluntarily. He clarified that Idris, being a senior civil servant at the time, had undergone standard interrogation procedures with full awareness of his rights.
Addressing accusations of offering a soft landing to Idris, Tukur dismissed them as baseless fabrications, affirming that he had never made such promises, especially given Idris’s stature in government.
Despite the heated exchanges in court, the trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, maintained order and scheduled the continuation of the trial-within-trial for May 15, signaling that the legal battle over the alleged corruption scandal was far from over.
