An Abuja Federal High has dismissed an alleged charge of fraud brought against Abdullahi Dikko, a former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and two others by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
In a ruling on Wednesday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, dismissed the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/21/2019 in view of the oral application by ICPC’s lawyer, E. A. Sogunle to withdraw the charge under Section 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015. Sogunle told the court that Dikko has not attended court, since the charge was filed against him and the prosecution has been unable to arrest him and produce him in court, despite a bench warrant issued on him.
Also named alongside Dikko, as defendants, are Garba Makarfi, a former Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, and Umar Hussaini, a lawyer, and principal partner of Capital Law firm.
The three defendants were accused of inducing the managing director of Cambial Limited, Yemi Obadeyi, to pay a sum of N1,100, 952,380.96 into the account of Capital Law Office as a refundable “completion security deposit” for the purchase of 120 units of duplexes as residential accommodation for officers of the Nigeria Customs Service. Hussaini was said to have distributed the money into various other bank accounts and for his part in the deal, he was allegedly rewarded with the sum of $3 million.
