Benjamin Dikki, the former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), revealed in an FCT High Court session that he was pressured by EFCC operatives to agree to refund N1 billion. This disclosure emerged during the ongoing prosecution by EFCC, where Dikki and his company, Kebna Studio and Communications Limited, are facing a four-count charge.
The charges against Dikki pertain to allegations of receiving a bribe and abusing his office. It is alleged that he received a N1 billion bribe from Bestworth Insurance Brokers for facilitating the approval of outstanding insurance premiums and claims of former staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
Dikki recounted an encounter with an EFCC operative from Zuru on August 29, 2016, during which he was informed that the commission had been looking for him and had even made attempts to arrest his family. Despite not receiving any prior invitations from the anti-graft agency, Dikki agreed to appear at the EFCC office on September 1, 2016, only to be coerced into making a commitment to refund the N1 billion upon arrival.
According to Dikki, he expressed his reluctance to make such a commitment, but the EFCC operatives persisted and eventually detained him in the commission’s cell from 6 pm to 7:40 pm. He further disclosed that he was not accompanied by his lawyer when writing his statements and was not advised to seek legal counsel before doing so.
Detailing the events, Dikki narrated his ordeal, “On Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016, Bashir came into the cell and told me that I was the one detaining myself because I was blowing long grammar and that once I commit to refund, I would be released.” Succumbing to the pressure for the sake of his freedom, Dikki arranged for a N50 million payment to EFCC, resulting in his subsequent release.
During cross-examination by the EFCC counsel, Chris Mshellia, Dikki reiterated that he was not arrested by the EFCC and was coerced into writing statements. He further elaborated on the psychological harassment and torture he endured at the hands of the operatives.
Following his testimony, Justice Halilu adjourned the proceedings until January 16, 2024, for the adoption of processes in the trial-within-trial.
