EX-CONVICT

 Lagos 2023: 

Convicted Fugitive, Hakeem Dickson, Is ACCORD Party’s Guber Candidate

A former chairman of Surulere Local Government, who is on the run for credit card fraud inthe United States, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the ACCORD Party in Lagos.

Hakeem Dickson, who fled the U.S. in 1991 to escape a 24-year jail term, emerged via a nomination by 500 delegates of the party at the primaries held at the Lagos Airport Hotel Ikeja.

Dare Ogundare, the ACCORD Party Chairman, Electoral Committee, announced Dickson as the flag bearer of the party for the 2023 general elections in Lagos State.

Ogundare said that James Kolawole also won the ACCORD party Lagos West Senatorial ticket, while Fatai Balogun won the ticket for Ikeja Federal Constituency.

Dickson in his acceptance speech thanked the party leaders and delegates for their trust and confidence.

He appealed to the teeming youth for their collective support to the party to ensure total victory in the general elections.

“We need the youths to take over governance and through seminars, workshops, and professional training, we will get it done.

“We are not a violent party and we assure the people that there won’t be any form of violence from us,” he said.

However, unknown to many, Dickson's sordid has resulted in his conviction for a fraud related crime in the U.S.

Convicted for fraud

On June 14, 1991, Dickson, also a U.S. citizen, was arrested on a complaint of bank and credit card fraud.

Four months later, he pleaded guilty to Count One of a four-count indictment which charged that from August 29, 1990, to September 10, 1990, he “knowingly and willfully executed and attempted to execute” a scheme to defraud a federally insured institution in violation of U.S. laws.

On June 25, 1992, Dickson was sentenced to a 24-month jail term, to be followed by a term of supervised release of three years.

He was also ordered to repay $14,400.

The judge fixed August 3, 1992, for his voluntary surrender, despite opposition from the U.S. government to the plaintiff in the suit.

“The government had urged at sentencing that Dickson be remanded forthwith or at least surrender to the Bureau of Prisons not later than the following Monday, June 29, 1992,” the judge said.

“The court noted that while on bail Dickson returned on three occasions after being given permission to leave the country.

“The Court also took account of Dickson’s wish to spend more time with his one-year-old son, who suffered severe medical problems. Thus the August 3, 1992, surrender date.”

But on August 3, 1992, Dickson was nowhere to be found in the U.S., forcing the judge to revoke his bail and issue a warrant for his arrest.

On the run

20 years later, on January 27, 2012, Dickson filed a motion seeking to adjust his sentence of 24 months incarceration in the U.S. by claiming that he had already served 17 months on the same sentence in a Lagos Prison.

In his motion, Dickson claimed that a series of events after his sentencing, preceded by violent clashes between Muslims and Christians in Lagos, forced him to disobey the August 3 surrender date.

“During these clashes, two of Dickson's sisters were killed and the family home was burned to the ground,” the judge quoted Dickson as claiming, in his judgment dated May 12, 2012.

“Following his sentencing the Defendant returned to Lagos to bury his sisters, assess the damage to his father’s house, and take his mother for treatment.

“When Dickson arrived in Lagos, he was arrested at the airport and was told that since he was convicted in the United States, he would also serve time in Nigeria. He was retained in custody until December 10, 1993, a total of 17 months.”

Investigations had, however, shown that the Nigerian Prisons Services does not have any record of Dickson serving a jail time between 1992 and 1993.

Ruling on Dickson’s motion, Judge Dickinson Debevoise noted that the defendant claimed he spent 17 months in prison because of his United States conviction, and then went on to lead a successful political and business life.

“For 20 years, the Defendant successfully evaded all United States government efforts to locate and arrest him,” Debevoise said.

“He has not served the 24 months sentence lawfully imposed upon him in June 1992. The law forbids granting the relief he seeks, and the equities of the situation point to no other outcome.

“The motion will be denied. The court will file an order consistent with the foregoing.”