Alleged N19bn corruption: DSS fails to produce Dasuki in court

The Federal Government, again failed to produce the immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) in court over a N19billion charge of money-laundering it brought against him before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of an Abuja High Court.

Dasuki, has, since 2015, arraigned before different high courts, was variously granted bail by Justice Adeniyi Ademola and Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court as well as Justice Peter Affen and Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Courts.
The ECOWAS Court, had also in a judgment last year, ordered the federal government to release him immediately from the unlawful custody and imposed a fine of N15million on the government, which up till now, are yet to be obeyed.
When the matter came up for continuation of trial, prosecuting counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that Dasuki was not produced in court by those taking his custody.

The counsel narrated that he had made several attempts to reach the authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to link up with the DSS authority to produce the ex-NSA in court.
Jacobs said that the only response he received after the EFCC had linked up with DSS was that the defendant (Dasuki) would not be brought to court.
The prosecution counsel apologised to the court on the development and requested Justice  Yusuf to grant him an adjournment so as to get the defendant in court.

Counsel to Dasuki, Mr. Joseph Daudu SAN who expressed shock over the development, expressed sympathy with the prosecution, adding that the inter-agency issues would have been responsible for DSS’ refusal to bring his client to court.
Daudu recalled that the court had earlier granted his client bail to enable him come for the defence from his house, but regretted that in spite of the fact that court orders are meant to be obeyed, the federal government had chosen to refuse to obey several bail orders.

Reacting to the situation, Chief Akin Olujinmi SAN, who stood for Salisu Shuaib, a former Director of Finance in Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), noted that the other defendants in the criminal charges have been coming regularly for the trial, but lamented that the prosecution was not ready to allow the trial to flow.
“I find it irritating for somebody to tell a prosecutor that the failure to produce a defendant in a criminal matter is an oversight. It is absurd and there is the need to keep record of day-to-day of the defendant in order to allow him  defend himself in the criminal charges brought against him.

“No one should foist a state of hopelessness on the court, but I urge the court to order that those keeping Dasuki should ensure that they are alive to their responsibility of producing him in the next adjourned day.”
Ruling on the application, Justice  Yusuf admitted that the prosecution counsel had always been passionate to have the trial conducted, but that his dilemma emanated from the fact that he is not in control of the defendant.

The Judge however directed Jacob to pass the message to his client that there is the need for them to produce Dasuki in court for trial as required by law.
It would be recalled that this is the fifth time that Dasuki would not be brought to court.
However, the matter was adjourned to July 10, 11 and 12, 2017 for continuation of trial.

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