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Judge Transfers Dasuki’s Case To Speed Up Trial

The trial of the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, in two High Courts in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja for alleged money laundering and … Continue reading Judge Transfers Dasuki’s Case To Speed Up Trial


Again, Nigerian Government Seeks Secret Trial For Dasuki, ex-NSA Objects
Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), speaks to his lawyers during an appearance in court in March 2016.

FG, ECOWAS Court, DasukiThe trial of the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki, in two High Courts in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja for alleged money laundering and breach of trust has been streamlined.

This followed the transfer of the two cases against Dasuki and other defendants from FCT High Court into one for quick and effective trial.

The Chief Judge of the FCT Judiciary, Justice Ishaq Bello, ordered the transfer of charges before Justice Peter Affem to the court of Justice Baba Yusuf, as the only Judge that would now conduct the trial.

Though Colonel Dasuki has been granted bails by all the courts involved in his trials, he has remained in the custody of Department of State Services (DSS) since November 2015.

The movement of the two charges into one court was at the instance of lawyers to the Federal Government and that of all the defendants in the matters.

The lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacob, confirmed to reporters that the two charges in two different courts would now be conducted by a single court to ensure effective and speedy trial of the case.

He also said that with the movement of the charges into one court, the issue of consolidation of the charges would no longer arise having been overtaken by event.

Meanwhile, Justice Yusuf has fixed November 16, 2016 for the trial.

In The Interest Of Justice

At the last hearing on October 5, 2016 before Justice Baba Yusuf, the Federal Government agreed to consolidate the criminal charges filed against Colonel Dasuki and others before the two different FCT High Courts.

This followed a complaint by Colonel Dasuki that putting him on trial in two different courts on the same issues was abuse of judicial process that would prejudice and cause double jeopardy.

The counsel to the government, Mr Jacob and that of Dasuki, Mr Joseph Daudu agreed before Justice Yusuf to formally write the chief judge of the FCT judiciary, Justice Bello to consolidate the two charges in the interest of Justice.

The two senior counsels then applied to Justice Yusuf to adjourn the matter pending the time the chief judge would consider the application for consolidation.

The judge, who was then billed to give ruling on Dasuki’s motion for consolidation, put off the ruling because of understanding between the prosecution and the defence and adjourned the matter till October 21, 2016.