SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, (THEWILL) – Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf of a Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered the Federal Government to grant former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, access his lawyer in the o-going trial.
Dasuki had been confined to the premises of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) with limited access to his lawyers.
The court ordered that Dasuki must be allowed to brief his lawyers at a neutral place instead of the premises of the DSS headquarters in Abuja, so as to enable him prepare adequately for his defence in the trial.
This followed a complaint by Dasuki’s lawyer Adeola Adedipe that the legal team for Dasuki had not been allowed to have direct access to him in spite of a court order made on April 6, 2016.
At the resumed hearing of the case, on Monday, Adedipe informed the court that he was not ready for any trial because the ruling of April 6 which ordered DSS to allow them access their client for briefing so as to prepare his defence has not been complied with.
He insisted that the defence was not ready for trial until it has been afforded opportunity to access Dasuki on a neutral ground for proper briefing.
Irked, Justice Yusuf directed that Dasuki be allowed by the DSS operatives to access his lawyers within the premises of the Federal Capital Territory Judiciary headquarters in Maitama Abuja between Monday and Friday this week.
He then adjourned the case till June 6 for the DSS to comply with his April 6 ruling.
Story by David Oputah
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