Shehu Dikko Faults ICPC’s Seizure of His Abuja Property

Shehu Dikko Faults ICPC’s Seizure of His Abuja Property

The former second vice president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Shehu Dikko has faulted the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for seizing his No 1 River Benue Street Maitama, Abuja home over alleged corruption.

It will be recalled the anti-corruption agency seized property belonging to him as confirmed in a published advertisement in Daily Trust newspaper.

“The Commission is of the opinion based on the aforementioned investigation that this immovable property owned by Mr Shehu Dikko is excessive having regard to his present and past emoluments and all other circumstances,” the ICPC statement said.

However, his lawyers have said the allegations made against their client come with no evidence that any crime took place.

“This unfair media trial has been going on since 2019 when the ICPC published notices in newspapers for seizure of my client’s and his colleagues’ assets without any court order to back the forfeiture of my client’s assets nor inviting our clients to explain,” said Mohammed Sani Katu.

“We immediately engaged the ICPC and they invited our client to provide documents on the properties and he honoured and provided all proofs to show that all his assets are legitimate.

“Fundamentally, the fact is that my client owns the properties long before he joined NFF in 2015,”

“In March 2020, the ICPC went to court to apply to withdraw the case as they were unable to provide any evidence on the properties that they say are illegally acquired,” Katu continued.

“The court duly struck out the matter on 4 March 2020. This ought to have ended all issue.

“The court clearly affirmed that all the properties were owned long before our client got to the NFF and no substantive facts or prima facie evidence were supplied.”

Katu insists his client Dikko, a businessman and CEO of an investment, finance and project development company, wants the ICPC to close the matter once and for all.

“The ICPC has gone to the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to try to confirm if our client has declared his assets, with the CCB ruling that our client is not a public servant/official and thus not required under the constitution to declare any assets for being in the NFF executive committee.

“Hence the ICPC has no business with my client’s assets.

“It’s clear under the NFF statutes that to be a member of the NFF executive committee, the person must have an alternative means of livelihood as the NFF [role] is purely part-time and not a paid salary.

“Thus my client is allowed to be engaged in his private business and building his wealth while being an NFF executive committee member.”

An ICPC spokesperson said the agency will not engage Dikko and his legal representatives, who want an apology, in the media about this particular case.