Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria has arrested the country’s accountant-general for allegedly removing millions of dollars from government coffers.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy but its development has been hampered by local corruption, experts say. Many government officials are facing trial on corruption charges, some long after leaving office.
As the Accountant-General of Nigeria, Idris managed the state treasury and supervised the government accounts. The Financial Crimes Agency said its intelligence showed that he “raised funds through fake advice and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.”
“The funds were laundered through real estate investments,” the company said. It added that Idris did not respond to his request to respond to his allegations, leading to his arrest. He has not yet been produced in court.
Prosecutors did not say when Idris removed the funds. Idris has been Nigeria’s Accountant-General since 2015 when he was appointed by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. The Associated Press could not immediately be reached for comment.
Buhari, who has been in power since 2015, has vowed to fight corruption but has been accused of pardoning some of those involved. In April, he pardoned more than 150 convicts, including two former governors jailed for corruption.
