#DasukiGate: Court Dismisses Dasuki’s Application On Contempt Against DSS

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, February 8th, 2016

By Ganiyu Nasirudeen

The immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) Monday lost in his bid to stop his trial over alleged misappropriation of N32 Billion arms purchase money at a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

Justice Husseini Baba in his ruling declared that contrary to Dasuki’s allegation, the anti-graft body, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ‎(EFCC) did not flout its order which granted him (Dasuki) bail December 18, 2015.

Dasuki filed the application after he was re-arrested by the officials of the Department of State Service (DSS) on December 29, 2015, after fulfilling his bail conditions and subsequently released by Kuje prison authority.

Justice Baba held that since EFCC was the prosecutor in the suit, the DSS which is being accused by Dasuki was “a stranger”, therefore could not have been alleged to disobey the bail order.

Consequently, the jurist held that option available to Dasuki was to file necessary suit in line with section 46 of the 1999 Constitution for the enforcement of his right to liberty.

While the Prosecutor Counsel, Mr. Oluwaleke Atolagbe, demanded for a new date for the hearing proper, the accused lawyer, Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), prayed the court to give ‎his client a long schedule, so as to have enough time to study and understand issue relating to “stranger” as ruled by Justice Baba.

Next hearing on the suit has been adjourned till March 23, 2016.

‎The former NSA is facing trial on a 19 count charge bothering on money laundering estimated at N32 Billion alongside a Director of Finance and Administration, in the NSA office, Shuaibu Salisu; former General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Babakusa as well as two private companies, namely, the Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.