A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a charge of fraud brought against former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Dikko.
Ruling on Wednesday, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu dismissed the charge marked ‘FHC/ABJ/CR/21/2019’ brought against Dikko and two others by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The judge ruled 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 despite a bench warrant issued on Dikko, who has not attended court since the charge was filed early last year, the prosecution has been unable to arrest him and produce him in court.
Others named in the charge as defendants were 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.
ICPC alleged in the charge that the three men induced 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.
The commission further alleged that Hussaini distributed the money into various other bank accounts and was rewarded with the sum of $3 million.
