Court Convicts Ex-Customs Chief Dikko's Lawyer of N1.1 Billion Fraud

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday convicted Umar Hussaini, a former lawyer for the late Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Comptroller General, Abdullahi Dikko.

The judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu, sentenced Mr. Hussaini to seven years in prison, but with the option of a 100 million naira fine.

She found Mr Hussaini guilty of counts of obtaining money under a false pretense contrary to and punishable under the Advance Charges Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act 2006.< /p>

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) has filed the case as FHC/ABJ/CR/74/2020 against Mr. Hussaini as sole defendant.

According to the ICPC, Mr. Hussaini fraudulently used the account of his law firm, Capital Law Office, to receive N1.1 billion from a real estate company, Cambial Nigeria Limited in April 2010.

The 1.1 billion naira was part of the funds NCS paid to Cambial Nigeria Limited for the purchase of 120 homes in Kuje, Abuja, for distribution to customs officers.

ICPC said Mr Dikko had asked Cambial Nigeria Limited to pay Mr Hussaini's law firm the sum of 1.1 billion naira, described as a "completion security deposit" for the sale of the 120 apartments.

Although Mr. Hussaini is Mr. Dikko's private lawyer, the anti-corruption agency said, he was nominated to receive the money from Cambial Nigeria Limited as outside counsel for the NCS.< /p>

ICPC investigator Yetunde Faniran told the court that the N1.1 billion deposit was hidden in the Capital Law Office account statement with Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc.

The investigator, however, said Cambial Nigeria Limited's account statement with Zenith Bank Plc reflected the transfer of the money to the law firm owned by Mr. Hussaini, in April 2010.

The defendant, according to the ICPC officer, had stated that the money paid to him on the instructions of the late NCS boss was the death benefit of a deceased relative of Mr Dikko.

The officer said Mr. Hussaini was unable to provide the name of the alleged deceased relative.

Investigations, the ICPC official added, revealed that Mr. Hussaini transferred much of the money to a Bureau De-Change (BDC), which was then converted into 3 million dollars and delivered to Mr. Dikko through one of his subordinates.

Mr. Dikko, who died in February 2021, was originally charged along with Mr. Hussaini and other alleged conspirators.

But the ICPC withdrew the original case in June 2020, when it was unable to arrest and present Mr. Dikko in court.

After Ms. Ojukwu sentenced Mr. Hussaini, two witnesses, including a lawyer, Amobi Nzelu, testified to Mr. Hussaini's good character, while begging the court for mercy.

They begged the court to hand down the sentence with the option of a fine.

The convict, who would have four wives with children and elderly parents, would be the breadwinner of the family.

He also begged the court to temper justice with mercy and convict him with an option of a fine.

He said he had never cheated on anyone or committed a crime before and that the responsibility for the discipline and restoration of the children was his.

Naziru Umar, the convict's lawyer, broke down in tears as he pleaded on behalf of his client for clemency.

Mr. Umar prayed that the sentence be accompanied by an option of a fine in accordance with the provisions of Section 6(c)(1)(2) of the HCF Guidelines and Practice Directions on Corruption and Other Related Offenses , 2015.< /p>

ICP...