Justice Baba Yusuf of a high court sitting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, has again affirmed that Sambo Dasuki, the National Security Adviser (NSA) to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has been granted bail.
Dasuki has been in detention for over a year for his alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal scandal under Jonathan.
The court re-affirmed the earlier bail granted Dasuki
Daily Trust reports that the judge said the decision was based on the fact that he is entitled to the bail especially as he had earlier been granted bail in 2015 when the federal government brought criminal charges against him through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Dasuki was re-arraigned by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, January 24 with the former governor of Sokoto, Attahiru Bafarawa, and four others for allegedly diverting over N19 billion.
Those re-arraigned with them are former minister of state for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, former director of Finance at the office of NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, son of Bafarawa, Sagir Attahiru and the Bafarawas' firm, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They pleaded not guilty to all the 22-count charge after which the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) urged the court to allow the trial to go ahead from Wednesday in linewith the provision of Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
"Because of the illegality of the suggestion, I urge your Lordship not to give 13th of March," Jacobs said.
But the counsel to Dasuki, Ahmed Raji (SAN), rejected the argument against his application that the trial should hold in March.
According to him, the date is not convenient because the second case involving Dasuki before the same court had earlier been fixed for same date (January 25th).
Bafarawa's counsel, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), also urged the court not to grant the prosecution’s argument.
Counsels to all the suspects sought for their bail as earlier granted, but Jacobs objected while submitting that since there was no record to show that Dasuki has for one day enjoyed any bail condition, but has always been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), the court should allow the status.
The court therefore held the bail subsists and adjourned the matter to February 24 for the commencement of trial.
