The trial of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, could not commence at the scheduled time on Tuesday due to the failure of the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to bring him to court on time.
At the commencement of trial at 9:15am, Rotimi Jacobs counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting Dasuki and four other persons on a 19-count charge of criminal breach of trust to the tune of N13bn, told the court that the former NSA, who is the second defendant in the matter, was still “dressing up”.
He urged the court to either stand down the case or adjourn it. He explained that Dasuki had been in the custody of the DSS since his release from Kuje prison.
“The second defendant who is facing a criminal charge filed by the DSS before the federal high court was re-arrested after his release, and has been in the custody of the DSS,” he said.
Jacobs said that he had told the DSS to produce Dasuki in court on Tuesday, but that the service informed him that the information was late.
He said “They (DSS) informed me that the information was late, and that the second defendant was trying to dress up. So, my lord, I urge you to give us until tomorrow for the trial to continue.”
However, Dasuki arrived at the court a few minutes before 11am, when Peter Affen, the judge, was set to rule on the application for adjournment. Affen adjourned the matter to February 26 for hearing on an application for discharge brought by Joseph Daodu, Dasuki’s lawyer.
