Court Issues Arrest Warrant For Ex-Nigeria Customs Service Boss, Dikko

The warrant of arrest for Abdullahi Dikko, a former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, has been issued by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu made the order on the grounds that Dikko had consistently failed to show up for trial.

At the court session on Monday, Solomon Akuma, Dikko’s lawyer, presented a medical report claiming that Dikko was critically ill and on admission in London, United Kingdom.

But the judge said Akuma had on the last adjourned date promised to produce his client in court.

She said the address on the medical report (No: N6 Ahmed Musa Crescent Jabi, Abuja) does not support his claim that his client was in a London hospital.

Ojukwu asked the prosecution to set aside the arrest warrant if they found out that Dikko was indeed in a London hospital. 

If not, she said he should be arrested and brought to court on March 16, 2020, TheCable reports.

Dikko is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission alongside Garba Makarfi, former Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs in charge of Finance, Administration and Technical Services, and Umar Hussaini, a lawyer.

ICPC accused Dikko of inducing one Yemi Obadeyi, an Abuja-based estate developer, to pay the total 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 NCS.

In 2017, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission recovered 17 exotic vehicles from Dikko’s warehouse in Kaduna.

In November 2019, Nnamdi Dimgba, judge of a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the EFCC to discontinue its case against the former customs boss following the non-prosecution agreement entered into by Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and Dikko.

Dikko had reportedly returned N1.5bn alleged to be proceeds of crime to the government.