Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal
High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the Federal Government to
produce the immediate-past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki
(retd.), in court on February 16.
The judge made the order with respect to
the charges of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms
preferred against Dasuki by the Federal Government.
The four counts preferred against the
former NSA before Justice Ademola were unrelated to two other separate
charges bordering on alleged diversion of arms funds pending against him
and others before two judges of the Federal Territory High Court in
Maitama, Abuja.
Dasuki was re-arrested earlier this
month by the operatives of the Department of State Services shortly
after he was released from Kuje Prison upon fulfilling the conditions of
bail earlier granted him in December 2015 by Justice Yusuf Baba of the
FCT High Court in Maitama.
The former NSA is scheduled to appear
along with his co-accused persons before Justice Yusuf on Thursday
(today) for the commencement of his trial with respect to the 19 counts
of diversion of about N32bn arms funds preferred against him by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Comission.
The Federal Government in the five
counts preferred against Dasuki before Justice Ademola accused the
former NSA of illegal possession of firearms and money laundering
involving about N84.6m.
On Wednesday, Justice Ademola made the
order for the production of the accused person in court after both the
prosecution and the defence lawyers withdrew various interlocutory
applications they had earlier filed.
The judge expressed concern over Dasuki’s absence in court on Wednesday.
He said, “I am worried that the accused
is not here. Government and whoever is concerned must endeavour to do
the necessary thing. The accused having been formally charged in court,
must be produced in court for trial on the appointed days in compliance
with provisions of the law.”
Dasuki’s lawyer, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN),
reminded the judge that the court had in an earlier ruling dispensed
with the presence of the accused persons during the hearing of
interlocutory applications which the Wednesday’s proceedings were
scheduled for.
But the judge said since all
interlocutory applications had been withdrawn, the former NSA must be
produced on February 16 for trial to commence.
Earlier, counsel for the Federal
Government, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), withdrew an application earlier
filed by the Federal Government, seeking revocation of bail granted to
Dasuki on November 3, 2015.
The judge adjourned the matter till
February 16 for commencement of trial restating his order that the
accused must be produced in court.
He also said that he would deliver his
pending ruling on the prosecution’s application for witness protection
before proceeding to trial on February 16.
He fixed an additional trial date for February 17.
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