The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said that the 17 exotic vehicles belonging to the former Comptroller General of Customs; Alhaji Dikko Abdulahi Inde, which were forfeited to the Federal Government last Friday were not contained in the list of assets earlier declared by the ex-Customs boss in the N40Billion fraud case for which he is currently being tried.
Apart from the last week seizures, sources disclosed that the EFCC is still on the look-out for other undeclared properties belonging to the former Customs boss.
The EFCC last Friday secured temporary forfeiture of the 17 exotic vehicles to the Federal Government.
The forfeited vehicles included: BMW 525i series, 2010 model, Hyundai Velester, 2012 model, BMW 325i, 2003 model, Land Cruiser Prado, 2014 model, BMW 335i series, 2012 model, Land Cruiser Prado, 2014 model, Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2007 model, Toyota Avensis, 2013 model and many others
The EFCC uncovered the vehicles in a warehouse allegedly belonging to the former Customs Comptroller-General. The vehicles were uncovered on Nnamdi Azikwe Street in Kaduna.
The commission had said last week that: “On arrival at the location, two individuals, who were discovered to be the custodians of the property, Dantala Mohammed and Ahmed Balarabe, were presented with a search warrant. Upon executing the search warrant, a total of 17 vehicles, amongst them brand new cars, shuttle buses and SUVs were discovered.
“Consequently, the vehicles and the two individuals, who are now also suspects in the investigation, were conveyed to the commission’s zonal offices in Kaduna and Kano respectively for further investigations, which revealed that the warehouse in question actually belongs to the former Customs boss.
But, Justice S. M. Shuaibu on Friday ordered that the vehicles be forfeited pending the outcome of investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The order was sequel to an ex parte application by the EFCC seeking, among others, the forfeiture of the vehicles to the government.
In his ruling, Justice Shuaibu held that the “17 vehicles which are now in the custody of the applicant ( EFCC) and as properly described and listed in the schedule marked exhibit EFCC 2 attached to the affidavit in support of the application are hereby forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria in the interim pending conclusion of the investigation.”
Operatives of the commission had last week stormed the warehouse of the former Customs boss on Nnamdi Azikwe Street, Kaduna and discovered 17 exotic vehicles worth hundreds of millions of naira, suspected to be proceeds of crime.
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 treasury of the NCS under his watch.
The funds were allegedly drawn from proceeds of the seven per cent cost of collection and one per cent Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme.
He was subsequently arrested by the EFCC in June 2016 but was released due to his failing health.
Sources within the EFCC, however, confirmed to our correspondent that, even though he acknowledged ownership of some high net worth properties, Dikko never disclosed the existence of the 17 vehicles.
Dikko had returned N1bn to the EFCC last year while a house worth about N2bn allegedly belonging to him had also been seized by the commission.
Our source confirmed that, apart from the N1Billion that he refunded, Dikko has also been returning some money to the government.
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