A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed a charge of fraud brought against former Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Inde Dikko and two others.
The case was filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, in a ruling on Wednesday, 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.
According to Sogunle, despite a bench warrant issued on Dikko, the prosecution has been unable to arrest him and produce him in court.
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Dikko, and 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 – were named as defendants.
They were 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.
