The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has once again brought former National Security Adviser, Col.Sambo Dasuki (rtd), and three others before an Abuja High Court, re-arraigning them on charges of alleged ₦33.2 billion fraud. The re-arraignment, which took place yesterday, included Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as two companies, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
This latest court appearance before Justice Charles Agbaza follows a reassignment of the case by the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who had previously presided over the matter.3 Dasuki’s initial arraignment, alongside Shuaibu Salisu, former Director of Finance and Administration, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), occurred on December 14, 2015, before Justice Baba-Yusuf.4 They faced a 19-count charge related to an alleged ₦15.5 billion fraud. The prosecution subsequently amended the charge, removing Salisu’s name.5
On May 11, 2018, Dasuki and the other defendants were re-arraigned on an amended 32-count charge, encompassing criminal breach of trust, dishonest release, and receiving various sums of money totaling ₦33.2 billion.6 At that point, the prosecution had only presented one witness, the investigating officer involved in the alleged arms deal fraud, and had not yet completed his primary testimony when the case was adjourned indefinitely.7
It’s important to note that the EFCC had previously filed two separate cases against Col. Dasuki in 2015 before Justice Baba-Yusuf, who now serves as the FCT Chief Judge.8 In a separate case, marked FCT/HC/CR/42/2015, Dasuki was charged alongside former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir, and his company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.9 They are facing a 25-count charge related to criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds, amounting to ₦19.4 billion.
