The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned the immediate past Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, Ahmed Dikko, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over an alleged N1.32bn money laundering scheme linked to the rehabilitation of the state-owned refinery.

Dikko was arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo on a 12-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/360/2026 alongside Masterpiece Projects & Investment Limited.

The former refinery boss, who headed the Port Harcourt refinery from March 2020 for about four years, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The EFCC alleged that Dikko laundered N1,322,839,112.70, said to be proceeds linked to contractors engaged by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt refinery, through cash property purchases, undisclosed bank retentions, concealment of funds through third parties and unauthorised foreign exchange transactions.

According to the anti-graft agency, one of the charges alleged was “That you AHMED ADAMU DIKKO… did directly make cash payment of the dollar equivalent of the sum of N218,375,000.00 to one Hadeija Bashir for the purchase of Plot 558, Abubakar Umar Street, Katampe Extension, Abuja without passing through a financial institution,” contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The commission further alleged in count eight, “That you AHMED ADAMU DIKKO… on or about the 26th of June, 2023… disguised the origin of the sum of N328,710,337.50 paid into the GTBank account… 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… constituted proceeds of unlawful activity.”

In count 11, the EFCC accused the former refinery boss of unlawfully converting foreign currency, alleging: “That you AHMED ADAMU DIKKO between October 2022 and May 2025 did convert the aggregate sum of $77,080 thousand through Ibrahim Isa Yaro, which amount did not form part of your known lawful earnings as a former public officer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.”

Following his plea, defence counsel Okechukwu Ajunwa (SAN) urged the court to admit his client to bail pending trial, while EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN) opposed the application.

In a ruling, Justice Ekwo admitted Dikko to bail in the sum of N150m with one surety in like sum.

The judge held that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and own landed property valued at not less than the bail sum.

He also directed the defendant to surrender his international passport and ordered that he be remanded in EFCC custody until he fulfilled the bail conditions.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter until October 12, 13 and 14, 2026, for trial.