SAN FRANCISCO, February 04, (THEWILL) – Embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, would know his fate on Monday, February 8, 2016, whether a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting before Justice Yusuf Husseini Baba, would quash corruption charges levelled against him.
The court had adjourned the matter after it considered the submissions from parties in an application brought before it by Dasuki, seeking for the charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to be quashed having been denied his freedom after fulfilling bail conditions granted him by the court.
Joseph Daudu, counsel to Dasuki, had in his submission noted that Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) had given the court the constitutional provision to grant freedom to the accused person, and no organ of government was expected to subvert or breach the order of court.
However, counsel to the other defendants had sought the court for an adjournment to file papers in tune with Dasuki’s application, while they relied on submissions by Akin Olujimi, a stance the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, opposed to on the grounds that the court had granted them fair hearing to which they had failed to enjoy.
Having dismissed the prayers for adjournments by the other defendants, the trial court asked the prosecution to proceed with his response to counsel to Dasuki’s submission.
The prosecution, Rotimi Jacobs, insisted that when the court granted Dasuki bail conditions, there was no such order by the court that if he was alleged to have committed another offence, he should not be arrested, he averred that, what he (Dasuki) the applicant was doing was simply reading into the judgement, stating that, it was not about service law but as a result of series of offences alleged against him.
Relying on Section 396 of the ACJA, Jacobs urged the court not to grant the application, submitting, “the issue of stay of proceedings does not even arise at this stage as there was no appeal filed,” stating that Section 46 of the constitution grants the defendant will to challenge his fundamental right in a court of law, therefore, the relevant parties who are said to have flouted court order should be pursued.
Other accused persons are 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, who were all present in court.
It will be recalled that Justice Baba Yusuf had on December 18, 2015, granted Dasuki and the rest of his co-accused bail in the sum of N250 million with one surety in relation to 19 counts of misappropriation of about N32 billion meant for purchase of arms.
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