Court orders arrest of ex-Custom comptroller General

Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court in Abuja, has ordered the arrest of former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Inde Dikko, for failing to appear in court to answer charges of Fraud brought against him. Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu said the counsel to the defendant, Solomon Akuma (SAN) had promised to make his client available, at the last adjournment date.

Solomon Akuma had presented a medical report, claiming Dikko was critically ill and on admission in London, but Justice Ojukwu responded that Dikko’s address, as shown on the medical report – No: N6 Amhed Musa Crescent Jabi, Abuja – did not support his lawyer’s claim that Dikko was on admission in a London hospital.
Justice Ojukwu added that, should the prosecution, in executing the bench warrant discover that Dikko is actually on admission in a London hospital, the execution shall be suspended.

In a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/21/2019, Abdullahi Inde Dikko, is named with two others – a former Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, Garba Makarfi and Umar Hussaini, a lawyer, and owner of Capital Law firm – as defendants.
Dikko, Makarfi, and Hussaini are, among others, accused of inducing the Managing Director of Cambial Limited, Yemi Obadeyi, to pay N1.1 billion (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 rewarded with the sum of $3 million.