A group has filed a petition before Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alh. Abdullahi Inde Dikko.

The group, Nigerian Customs Transparency Initiative (NCTI) asked the anti-graft agency to probe alleged abuse of office by Dikko.

The allegations against the CG include contravention of the Public Service Rule 070318 manipulation of promotions, high-handedness, inflation of purchase of BMW cars for senior officials, alleged spending of N3.5billion on internet project, and

The petition reads in part: “The Customs Board was kept in the dark as promotions were manipulated and Customs Officials were selectively elevate d. Bootlickers, favourites and stooges were elevated to juicy and sumptuous positions and postings to Lagos and Port-Harcourt ports.

“Meritocracy was slaughtered on the altar of mediocrity. His reckless abuse of office with unmitigated religious and ethnic bias. Purchase of vehicles: Prices of B.M.W vehicles for senior officers were criminally inflated. About N3.5 billion naira was siphoned and frittered away through an internet project that never saw daylight.

“Thirteen containers at T.C.I.P. were impounded sometime ago. It was claimed that four Iranians were arrested with the containers two of which disappeared into the thin air.” The group pleaded with ICPC to re-examine the revenue profile of the Customs Service and the circumstances behind the award of contract for Customs Staff College.

It added: “There is false declaration of Annual Customs Revenue Generation. In order to give false impression of excellent performance, the Customs Service adds figure of the Value Added Tax (VAT) which Customs collects on behalf of Federal inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the revenue derived from custom duties whereas the same VAT figure has been included in the VAT revenue declared and announced by FIRS as required by law, thereby creating a misleading duplication of revenue figure derive from VAT.

“The contract for the construction of Customs Staff College was aided and abetted by a Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, who was not a member of Nigeria Customs Board. The company used for the contract was registered three weeks after the award of the contract. Also, the estate named Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Customs Barracks at Kuje, was purchased at the inflated rate of four billion naira and renovated with ten billion naira.