Dasuki Appears in Court, Seeks Release of Passport

Dasuki Appears in Court, Seeks Release of Passport
The former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd, has made an appearance at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Maitama exactly 48 days after he was released from prolonged fours years in illegal detention and 15 months after he deliberately refused to attend any court in protest against government’s refusal to obey lawful orders.

Dasuki who appeared before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf withdrew application protesting his trial and also sought for the release of his passport.

Justice Baba Yusuf fixed February 19, 2019 for hearing in a motion filed by Dasuki seeking for the release of his passport to travel for medical attention.

The former Minister of State for Finance, Mr Bashir Yuguda; a former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; his son, Sagir; and his company, Dalhatu Investment Limited, are listed as defendants in one of the cases.

Baba- Yusuf, fixed the date, after Mr Adeolu Adedipe, defence counsel, informed the court that he has an filed an application and served it on Feb. 11 on the EFCC. The judge also fixed March 13 for hearing in the substantive suit.

Adedipe said the motion is seeking for the release of Dasuki ‘s passport.

Counsel to EFCC, Mr Adebisi Adeniyi, informed the court that he was served two days ago and needed time to study it. “The challenge we have is that we are yet to verify if the passport is with the court because the prosecution does not have it in our custody,” he said.
Earlier, Adeniyi told the court that the prosecution was withdrawing its motions, dated Oct. 4, 2019 and Dec. 20, 2019.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Dasuki (first defendant) and Bashir Yuguda (second defendant) alongside former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa (third defendant); his son, Sagir (fourth defendant) and his company, Dalhatu Investment Limited (fifth defendant).

They were charged in 2015 on 25 counts bordering on criminal breach of trust and alleged misappropriation of public funds.

Dasuki had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail but the federal government refused to recognise his bail and kept him in custody for four years until on the eve of Christmas day in 2019 when he was allowed to go home in line with his bail terms.
The refusal of the government to recognise his bail forced him to shun his trial in all courts in the country until his bail was recognised.

Apart from the FCT High Court, Abuja, Dasuki is also standing trial in the Federal High Court on illegal possession of firearms and money-laundering.

By PRNigeria