The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned Mr Ahmed Dikko, the former Managing Director, Port Harcourt Refining Company Ltd (PHRC), on alleged money laundering offences.
Dikko, who was arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 12-count charge, pleaded not guilty.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/360/2026, had named Dikko and Masterpiece Projects & Investment Ltd as 1st and 2nd defendants.
In the charge dated and filed on June 22 by the commission’s counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, the anti-graft agency accused Dikko of using part of the funds to purchase a choiced property in Abuja.
When the case was called, Iheanacho informed the court that the matter was scheduled for the defendants to take their plea and that they were ready to proceed.
Ikechukwu Ajunwa, SAN, did not oppose the application but applied that a non-guilty plea be entered for the 2nd defendant, the company.
After the charge was read to him, Dikko pleaded not guilty to all the 12 counts.
In view of the non-guilty plea, the prosecution lawyer applied for a trial date, which Ajunwa did not oppose but informed the court that a bail application had been filed on behalf of the 1st defendant.
He said a copy of the bail application had also been served on the EFCC.
Iheanacho acknowledged the receipt of the process and told the court that a counter affidavit had equally been filed in opposition to the bail request.
Moving the motion, Ajunwa said it was dated and filed on July 3 in line with Sections 34(4) and 36 of the 1999 Constitution and Sections 158 and 156 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
According to him, the application is seeking for a leave for the defendant to be granted bail.
“The grounds for the application are there my lord,” he said.
The lawyer, who said Dikko would not jump bail or interfere with the trial, said the 1st defendant had been reporting to the EFCC’s office as part of administrative bail terms.
Responding, Iheanacho said the commission, on July 7, filed a counter affidavit to oppose Dikko’s request.
“We rely on all the paragraphs in our counter affidavit in urging the court to deny bail to the defendant.
“We also filed a written submission and adopted same in urging the honourable court to reject the bail application,” he said.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo held that the court has the discretionary power to either grant or not to grant a bail.
He said since bail is a constitutional rights of the defendant, substantial evidence must be placed before the court why the defendant ought to be denied the request.
The judge consequently admitted him to a N150 million bail with one surety in the like sum who must possess a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.
He held that the surety must be a responsible citizen and must submit the documents of the landed property which should be verified by the court registrar.
Justice Ekwo, who ordered Dikko to submit his international passport with the court, directed that the defendant must not travel outside the country without the permission of court.
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter until Oct. 12, Oct. 13 and Oct. 14 for commencement of trial.
NAN observes that in count one, Dikko, the former MD of PHRC, on or about February 2024 in Abuja, did indirectly make cash payment of the dollar equivalent of the sum of N218, 375, 000.00 to one Hadeija Bashir.
It alleged that the money was used for the purchase of Plot 558, Abubakar Umar Street, Katampe Extension, Abuja without passing through a financial institution.
The offence is contrary to Sections 2 (1) (a), 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19 (2) (b) of the same Act.
In count two, he was alleged to have between Oct. 21st, 2022 and Oct. 25, 2022 in Abuja, indirectly retained in the Fidelity Bank Plc account number: 4020827615, operated by him, the sum of N100 million, being part of the money cumulatively paid to him by Ebenco Global Link Limited, a contractor to PHRC of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL).
“When you knew that the said sum of N100, 000, 000.00 constituted proceed of unlawful activity.”
Count three accused Dikko of indirectly retaining in his GTBank Plc account number: 0047037266, the sum of N90 million between Dec. 7, 2022 and Dec. 19, 2023 in Abuja, being part of the money cumulatively given to him by Ebenco Global Link Limited, a contractor to PHRC of NNPC.
In count five, he was alleged to have, about May 20, 2022 in Abuja, indirectly took control of the sum of N30 million paid to him by Ebenco Enterprises, a business name of a contractor to PHRC, through the GTBank Plc account number: 0158257115, operated by Medinus Mildred Oluba.
In count eight, the defendant was alleged to have, on or about June 26, 2023 in Abuja, disguised the origin of the sum of N 328, 710, 337. 50 (three hundred and twenty-eight million, seven hundred and ten thousand, three hundred and thirty seven naira, fifty kobo).
The money was alleged to have been paid into the GTBank Plc account number: 0123201507, operated by Masterpiece Projects & Investment Limited by OMSA Integrated Services Limited from the transactions involving NNPC Limited allocation of Vacuum Gas Oil for export.
“When you knew that the said sum of N328, 710, 337. 50 constituted proceed of unlawful activity,” the count read in part.
He was also accused of indirectly taken possession of the cumulative sum of N59, 200, 000.00, between August 2023 and January 2024 in Abuja, through his GTBank Plc account number: 0047037266 from the funds paid by OMSA Integrated Services Limited to Masterpiece Projects & Investment Limited.
Count 10 accused Dikko of procuring Ebenezar Oluwagbemiga of Ebenco Global Link Limited to take possession of an aggregate sum of N356, 412, 500.00 on his behalf, between June and January 2023 in Abuja, when he reasonably “ought to have known that the said amount represents proceeds of unlawful activity.”
In count 11, Dikko was said to have, between October 2022 and May 2025 in Abuja, converted “the aggregate sum of $77,080 (seventy seven thousand and eighty United States Dollars) through Ibrahim Isa Yaro.”
The fund was alleged not to form part of his known lawful earning as a former public officer with the NNPCL, formerly Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
In count 12, the defendant was alleged to have, between Dec. 22, 2022 and April 11, 2023 in Abuja, indirectly took control of the cumulative sum of N20 million paid to him by Ebenco Global Link Limited through the GTB Plc account number: 0233656547, operated his son, Ahmed Ahmed Dikko.
The commission alleged that the said sum constituted proceed of unlawful activity and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.