An Abuja High Court has adjourned the trial of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, until October 21. The adjournment was granted to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to list a witness to testify in the case. Dasuki is standing trial on a 32-count charge of criminal breach of trust, dishonest release, and receiving various sums of money totaling N33.2 billion.
The charges against Dasuki stem from his alleged misappropriation of security funds in the accounts of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). He is being tried alongside a former General Manager with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa, and two firms: Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
The EFCC arraigned the four defendants in March, accusing Dasuki of releasing the equivalent of N10 billion in foreign currencies from the NSA’s account for the 2014 presidential primary election of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Dasuki and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing, prosecution witness Adariku Michael, a detective with the EFCC, informed the court that the anti-corruption commission received an intelligence report in September 2015 regarding abuse of office and money laundering. Michael alleged that the NSA moved huge sums of money between October 2014 and April 2015 to accounts of various companies.
The witness’s testimony was cut short when counsel for Baba-Kusa, Solomon Umoh, pointed out that the witness was not listed by the prosecution on the list of witnesses served to the defense team. The prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, acknowledged the oversight and sought an adjournment to rectify the issue. The presiding judge, Justice Charles Agbaza, granted the adjournment, scheduling the next hearing for October 21.
The trial has been ongoing for nearly a decade, with the prosecution seeking to prove that Dasuki and his co-defendants engaged in corrupt practices while in office. The adjournment will allow the EFCC to gather and present additional evidence in support of its case. The outcome of the trial will have significant implications for the defendants and the ongoing efforts to combat corruption in Nigeria.