BEVERLY HILLS, February 24, (THEWILL) – An Abuja High Court has adjourned until April 13 and 14 the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Rtd Col. Sambo Dasuki, and four others for alleged misappropriation of N19.4 billion arms funds.
Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf fixed the date after dismissing an objection raised by Dasuki’s lawyer, Yinka Adedipe, against the withdrawal of a document by the counsel of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Baba-Yusuf held that the Defendants’ objection was misconceived. He held that the authority cited by Adedipe was misconstrued, adding that the Prosecutor was within his right to withdraw the document since he did not join the issue with the Defendants’ Counsel.
While overruling the Defendants’ objection to the withdrawal of the document by EFCC Counsel, Baba-Yusuf held “the objection is misconceived and therefore, the document stands withdrawn.”
Dasuki is the second Defendant in the case, marked FCT/HC/CR/42/2015, and is standing trial alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir and their firm, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They are arraigned on a 25-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of public fund to the tune of N19.4 billion.
On March 13, 2020, the Prosecution sought to tender a document through the first Prosecution Witness (PW1), Kazeem Yusuf, but all the Counsel for the Defendants objected to it being tendered.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, then applied to withdraw the said document.
This was objected to by Counsel for Dasuki, Adedipe, who said the Prosecution could not withdraw the document having been objected to by the Defence.
Counsel for other Defendants also objected to the withdrawal of the document.
