An FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to produce Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser (NSA), in court for his trial.
Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf gave the order on Monday, as a result of the absence of Dasuki in court for his trial over allegations of criminal breach of trust and money laundering.
Dasuki, who was charged alongside Aminu Baba Kusa, a former General Executive Director at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Acacia Holdings Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital, was not in court at the resumed hearing.
Oluwaleke Atolagbe, the prosecuting counsel, told the court that while the prosecution was in court with witnesses that came from Port Harcourt, Dasuki, who is the first defendant, was not in court.
Dasuki’s counsel, Victor Okwudiri, expressed surprise that the prosecution wanted an explanation from the defence on the whereabouts of Dasuki, who he said was in the custody of the government against the orders of the court.
In his response, Atolagbe said: “The EFCC cannot produce the first defendant (Dasuki) because he is not in our custody,”. According to him, the trial court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have all ruled that Dasuki was in the custody of the DSS.
He, therefore, urged the court to issue a production warrant on the DSS to produce Dasuki on the next adjourned date.
“It appears the prosecution has failed to do so and did not provide any explanation for failing to do so. Hence, I will issue a production warrant on the Director General of DSS to ensure the presence of the first defendant (Dasuki) in court on the next adjourned date,” Justice Baba-Yusuf held.
The case was adjourned till May 24 for the continuation of hearing.
