The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraud to the tune of N33.2bn.
Dasuki was arraigned alongside Aminu Baba-Kusa and two companies—Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited—on a 32-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust and dishonest release of public funds.
Their re-arraignment before Justice Charles Agbaza follows the reassignment of the case by the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who was previously handling the matter.
Dasuki was first arraigned on December 14, 2015, before Justice Baba-Yusuf, alongside a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, on a 19-count charge linked to an alleged N15.5bn fraud.
Subsequently, the charges were amended, and Salisu’s name was removed.
However, Dasuki and the others were re-arraigned on May 11, 2018, on a fresh 32-count charge of N33.2bn alleged fraud, but the trial was stalled after the prosecution presented only one witness (the investigating officer), who was yet to conclude his testimony before the case was indefinitely adjourned.
The EFCC had also filed another case against Dasuki in 2015, in which he was charged alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; a former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; his son, Sagir Bafarawa; and his company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They faced a 25-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N19.4bn.
The case was recently transferred to Justice Yusuf Halilu.
Both trials suffered multiple delays due to the refusal of the Department of State Services to release Dasuki on bail, despite court orders granting him bail.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the 32 counts read to them.
The prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, then requested a trial date.
Counsel to Dasuki, A.A. Usman, urged the court to allow the defendants to continue their existing N100 bail, assuring that they had always been present for court proceedings.
Richard Ibiye, representing the second defendant (Baba-Kusa), agreed with Usman’s submission, urging the court to allow his client to maintain his current bail.
The prosecution did not oppose the request but stressed the importance of the defendants’ continued presence throughout the trial.
Justice Agbaza granted the defendant’s request and adjourned proceedings to July 1 for commencement of trial.
