A N2 billion mansion allegedly owned by a former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Abdullahi Dikko has been seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
According to Punch Newspapers, the property located at 1 Audu Ogbeh Street, Jabi, Abuja, had inscriptions made by the anti-graft agency on the fence.
The inscription read “EFCC, Keep off.”
Dikko has remained in the custody of the EFCC after submitting himself for questioning at the head office in Abuja on Thursday for allegedly diverting N40 billion from the account of the NCS.
A source at the commission was quoted to have said, “The EFCC Act Section 71 (B) gives us the power to commence investigations into the property of any person if it appears to the EFCC that the person’s lifestyle and extent of properties are not justified by law. Section 28 says for those arrested under the Act, the commission will immediately trace and attach all the assets and seizures of such a person which had 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.”
A detective at the commission also said, “You will recall that we have been looking for Dikko for quite some time. He turned himself in around 10am today (Thursday) and he is being quizzed over two key allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy, diversion of public funds, theft, abuse of office and living above legitimate means.”
“There is also a further allegation that he diverted over N40bn from customs coffers. The funds were drawn from proceeds of the seven per cent cost of collection and one per cent comprehensive import supervision scheme.”
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