ICPC Withdraws Fraud Charges Against Dikko, Ex-Customs CG

The fraud charges instituted against a former Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Inde Dikko, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), was on Wednesday dismissed by the federal high court sitting in Abuja.

The charges were dismissed by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu after the ICPC applied to withdraw the charges filed against Dikko.

The charges, which bordered on fraud to the tune of N1.1 billion against the ex customs boss and two others, was filed by the ICPC in February 2019.

Former assistant comptroller-general of customs in charge of finance, administration and technical services, Garba Makarfi and a lawyer, Umar Hussaini, were the other defendants.

Dikko, according to the anti-graft agency, had induced an Abuja estate developer, Yemi Obadeyi, to pay the sum of N1,100, 952,380.96 into the account of Capital Law Office (a company belonging to Hussaini) for the purchase of 120 units of duplexes as residential accommodation for officers of the customs.

Recall that Dikko’s lawyer, Solomon Akuma, had at the February sitting, presented a medical report informing the court that his client was critically ill and on admission in London.

Also, a warrant of arrest against Dikko, had been issued by the judge, in order for prosecution to produce him to stand trial.

ICPC lawyer, Ebenezer Shogunle, at the resumed trial on Wednesday, informed the court that they were unable to apprehend Dikko despite the warrant issued against him.

Shogunle thereafter made an oral application for the charges to be withdrawn against him.

Ojukwu granted the application and dismissed the charges.