The trial of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd.), and his co-defendants for alleged diversion of N13bn,
part of funds said to be meant for procurement of arms, was stalled
before Justice Peter Affen of the Federal Capital Territory High Court
in Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s proceedings could not go
on due to the failure of the operatives of the Department of State
Service to produce the ex-NSA in court on time and the need for the
other co-defendants to respond to an application by Dasuki to stop the
trial.
The DSS only produced the ex-NSA in court on Tuesday at the point when Justice Affen was
adjourning the case.
The judge adjourned till February 26.
Others
who are being prosecuted along with the former NSA with respect to the
22 counts of N13bn fraud charges are a former Director of Finance and
Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, a former
Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; a former Governor of
Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, the ex-governor’s son, Sagir Attahiru,
and a firm, Dalhatu Investment.
A development similar to what
transpired in court on Tuesday had stalled the ex-NSA’s trial before
Justice Baba Yusuf of the same Maitama Division of the FCT High Court on
January 22.
Justice Yusuf had then adjourned Dasuki’s trial till February 4.
Dasuki
is being prosecuted before the court on 19 counts of diversion of N32bn
arms fund, along with a former Director of Finance and Administration
in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu and a former Director of the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Baba-Kusa.
Aminu-Kausa’s two firms – Acacia Holdings Ltd and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited – are also part of the accused.
In
the applications filed before the two judges, Dasuki’s lawyer, Mr.
Joseph Daudu (SAN), argued that the prosecution lacked the right to
continue to prosecute him.
Dasuki was re-arrested by operatives
of the DSS on December 29, 2015 shortly after he was released from
prison upon fulfilling the bail conditions granted him by Justice Yusuf
on December 18.
This, in the view of Dasuki’s legal team, amounted to disobedience of the order granting bail to their client.
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