Rice is a traditional part of the Nigerian diet, but the country is not self-sufficient and therefore has to import large quantities of wheat, the import and distribution of which was not to everyone's satisfaction. President Shagari thus decided to create a special body to address this issue, which he rather pompously called ‘Task Force on Rice'. The group's aim was to bring the trade to order and to stabilise it. Dikko was responsible for leading this new government agency and had to regulate the imports that were worth tens of millions of dollars. This meant that he was now in charge of signing the contracts with the importers.
There was a great temptation to help oneself or to bribe the producers and transporters - especially as Dikko was also the Transport Minister. ‘Baba' was slowly building up an immense fortune, which some even estimate was up to a billion pounds. This systematic corruption, which also benefitted the ruling party, was one of the reasons that pushed the military into action and to expel Shagari.
Dikko therefore had good reason to flee his country when the military seized power, because he was afraid he would have to answer for his embezzlement. Exiled in London, he was quick to make very hostile statements against the new powers in Nigeria, which he accused of being undemocratic. What is more, he announced his intention to meet with other exiled opponents and coordinate a retaliation against the military. In an interview he even spoke about bringing a jihad against them and hoped to raise the Muslim population in northern Nigeria, where Islam was the majority religion.
The new leaders in Nigeria did not request his extradition from London, no doubt because of the lengthy procedure. Yet the Nigerian military were in a relative hurry and wanted to get their hands on Dikko's wealth: the tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars that he had accumulated were certainly of interest to them! If they could get hold of Dikko, then they would be able to get his bank account information, even if they had to do it the hard way. Then it would be time to put him on trial and most likely execute him afterwards.
Le Monde108
It is said in Lagos that this man is worth $l.4bn.Alhadji Umaru Dikko, the most wanted man in Nigeria following the coup of 31 December 1983, which ended the civilian regime of Shegu Shagari, had been deemed a scapegoat and the symbol of the corruption that has plagued the Nigerian government.There were several reasons for this...
Dikko was the brother-in-law of President Shagari and the Transport and Aviation Minister in the last civilian government. He was also the ‘NumberTwo’, or even according to some, the actual ‘Main Man’ in Nigeria.
The organiser behind the head of state’s electoral campaign during the presidential elections on 6 August 1983, he was equally responsible for the elections campaigns of the presidential party, the NPN (National Party of Nigeria).
Mr Dikko was also responsible for coordinating the import of all Nigerian food products and no significant contract could be signed without his approval, or at least without some juicy commission being collected along the way.
Lagos states that Mr Dikko’s fortune is essentially built on embezzlement and bribery: notably through the rice import contracts.
The powers in Nigeria thus decided to remove Dikko in order to uncover his secrets. This was a mission that fell to the secret service as it would mean an illegal operation in a foreign country with which it maintained good relations, although there was sometimes tension between the two capitals. Like all former colonial powers, the British still had a tendency to think that Nigeria still, in part, belonged to them.
The operation, which had to be conducted on foreign soil, was especially delicate as the English did not want any illegal activity taking place in their country. A serious incident had recently occurred in front of the Libyan Embassy, when a British policewoman had been murdered by someone inside. It was a case that had shaken public opinion and provoked outrage because the embassy personnel were able to leave the building freely as they were protected by diplomatic immunity.
In this context, the Nigerian authorities were forced to walk on eggshells. Their main difficulty was that although they had a secret service, its agents were not competent enough to organise such an operation in a European country where the police were particularly effective. They decided they needed help and completely unexpectedly, turned to Tel Aviv.
The Israelis had certainly helped to organise and train the secret services of several African countries, but after the Six Day War and the occupation of the Territories, most states in the continent broke off their diplomatic relations with Israel. Nevertheless, informal ties still remained, including business relationships, with dozens of Israeli companies being well-established in Nigeria.
Four Israeli agents were directly responsible for conceiving and carrying out the Dikko operation. They were naturally assisted by Nigerians who were already in London, or had been sent there especially for the occasion. However, their first task was to locate the former minister.
Dikko, who had good reasons to fear for his life, was of course in hiding and those who wanted to get to him had to engage in a real treasure hunt in order to find him in a city the size of London. Such a challenge required mobilising a large work force and the help of a solid organisation. After serious investigations, especially within the African community, Dikko was
