FORMER comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko has returned the sum of N1,040,000,000 (£2.53m) to the federal government following his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Alhaji Dikko, who served as the head of customs between August 2009 and August 2015, became the subject of an EFCC investigation last year when the commission established that about N40bn was diverted from the coffers of the NCS under his watch. These funds were allegedly drawn from proceeds of the 7% cost of collection and 1% comprehensive import supervision scheme.
He was subsequently arrested by the EFCC in June this year but was released due to his poor health. However, a reliable source within the EFCC reported that Alhaji Dikko had been returning money to the government since his release on bail.
“So far, Dikko has returned over N1bn. He returned N1bn and then N4m and is still expected to return more money,” the source added.
Earlier this year, the EFCC seized a mansion belonging to Alhaji Dikko located at Audu Ogbeh Street in the Jabi area of Abuja said to be worth at least N2bn. He is also believed to own properties in Dubai and in Katsina, his home state.
“Section 28 says concerning those arrested under the act, the commission will immediately trace and attach all the assets and seizures of such a person which have been acquired. Section 29 permits the assets of a person arrested under Section 28 to be seized by the state.
“Dikko was a customs officer and served for about 30 years. He has to explain where he got the money to buy a mansion of N2bn,” the source said.
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