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Federal Government fails to produce Dasuki at resumed trial

By Bridget Chiedu Onochie and Oludare Richards (Abuja)
30 September 2016   |   4:54 am
The Federal Government has failed to produce Colonel Sambo Dasuki before a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory.The former National Security Adviser (NSA) was to have stood trial over charges of money laundering and breach of trust, alongside five others.
Former national security adviser (NSA), retired Col. Sambo Dasuki PHOTO: NAN

Former national security adviser (NSA), retired Col. Sambo Dasuki PHOTO: NAN<br />

• Absence of defense counsel stalls Nyako’s re-arraignment

The Federal Government has failed to produce Colonel Sambo Dasuki before a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory.The former National Security Adviser (NSA) was to have stood trial over charges of money laundering and breach of trust, alongside five others.

The matter has been adjourned till October 21, 2016.Dasuki, earlier charged before Justice Peter Affen, had been granted bail, but was re-arrested and has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since December 2015.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, yesterday, failed to re-arraign former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, and his son, Senator Abdul-Aziz, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court.The matter has been adjourned till October 17.

The former NSA is being prosecuted along with a former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu; a former Finance Minister of State, Bashir Yuguda; a former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; the ex-governor’s son, Sagir Attahiru; and a firm, Dalhatu Investment.

At the resumed trial on Thursday, counsel to the Federal Government, Rotimi Jacob, told the judge he was surprised his client did not bring Dasuki, the second defendant in the charge, to court.Jacob blamed communication gap between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the DSS.

He appealed to Justice Affen to stand down the case to enable his client produce Dasuki. He could, however, not give a definite period. Justice Affen agreed that it would be unfair to stand down the case without a definite time for Dasuki’s appearance in court.

The EFCC had on August 7, 2015 arraigned Nyako, his son, Abdul-Aziz, Zulkifikk Abba, Abubakar Aliyu, and five firms on a 37-count charge of money laundering, involving alleged diversion of over N29 billion belonging to the Adamawa State Government.

The accused had been arraigned before the late Justice Evoh Chukwu.Following his demise in June, however, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Ibrahim Auta, had re-assigned the case to Abang. When the matter was called and the defendants took their positions in the dock, it was discovered that the 5th defendant had no legal representation in court.

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