THE Federal High Court in Abuja has given the Federal Government 45 days to conclude the decade-long prosecution of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), over alleged unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering.
News Point Nigeria reports that Justice Peter Lifu issued the directive on Tuesday while granting the prosecution’s application for adjournment to allow it to present additional witnesses and enable the defence to open its case.
The matter has now been fixed for September 24, 25, and 26 for continuation of trial.
The judge ordered the Federal Government to ensure that all remaining witnesses are called and any pending exhibits are tendered within the specified time frame.
During the last sitting, a prosecution witness, Monsur Mohammed, told the court that upon Dasuki’s arrest, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) searched his residences in Abuja, Kaduna, and Sokoto, recovering various items including electronics, documents, and foreign currencies.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Oladipupo Okpeseyi (SAN), Mohammed, an exhibits keeper with the DSS, listed the recovered items from Dasuki’s Asokoro residence at 46, Nelson Mandela Street.
These included two compact discs of Freedom Radio on Jokolo, two GTBank cheque books, two Blackberry phones, a Nokia phone, a flash drive, an Apple laptop, a bank statement, a visa card, an approval letter for Afri-Media Integrated Ltd to operate a radio station.
Others are; a CD on the arrest and execution of Mohammed Yusuf, 500 US dollars, 533 Saudi Riyals, data pages belonging to Abubakar Dasuki Ibrahim, an HSBC account book, and a cheque book of Habibson Ltd, among others.
Dasuki, who was arrested in 2015, is accused of misappropriating $2.1 billion meant for arms procurement.
He regained his freedom on Christmas Eve in 2019 after widespread condemnation of the government’s refusal to comply with multiple court orders, including a ruling by the ECOWAS Court of Justice granting him bail.
In a separate case before an FCT High Court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is also prosecuting Dasuki over the alleged diversion of N19.4 billion in arms funds.
He is standing trial alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; Bafarawa’s son, Sagir; and their company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
Justice Lifu stressed that the protracted nature of the trial underscored the need for the prosecution to act promptly and bring the matter to a close within the next hearing dates.
