WEDNESDAY March 26, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (NSA), over allegations of N33.2 billion fraud, FirstNEWS reports.
Dasuki was brought before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court on Tuesday alongside Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and two companies—Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
The defendants face a 32-count charge, including alleged criminal breach of trust and dishonest release of public funds.
Their re-arraignment before Justice Charles Agbaza follows the reassignment of the case by the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who had previously handled the matter.
Dasuki was first arraigned on December 14, 2015, before Justice Baba-Yusuf, alongside Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, on a 19-count charge linked to an alleged N15.5 billion fraud.
The charges were later amended, removing Salisu’s name, and Dasuki was re-arraigned on May 11, 2018, alongside the other defendants on a fresh 32-count charge involving N33.2 billion.
However, the trial suffered multiple adjournments and was later put on indefinite hold after the prosecution managed to present only one witness. The reassignment to a new judge now means the trial will start afresh.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Dasuki and his co-defendants pleaded not guilty to all 32 charges.
Oluwaleke Atolagbe, the EFCC’s prosecution counsel, requested a trial date, while A.A. Usman and Richard Ibiye, lawyers representing Dasuki and Baba-Kusa, urged the court to allow their clients to continue enjoying their existing bail, assuring the court of their continued presence at trial.
The prosecution did not oppose the request but emphasized the need for the defendants’ consistent court attendance.
Justice Agbaza granted the request, allowing the defendants to remain on their previous bail terms, and adjourned the trial to July 1, 2025.
In addition to this case, Dasuki is also facing another EFCC prosecution alongside Bashir Yuguda, a former Minister of State for Finance; Attahiru Bafarawa, former Governor of Sokoto; his son, Sagir Bafarawa; and his company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They are being tried on a separate 25-count charge related to the alleged misappropriation of N19.4 billion. That case has also been reassigned, now under Justice Yusuf Halilu.
With the fresh proceedings, Dasuki’s long-running legal battles over alleged corruption under his tenure as NSA are set to continue.
Ex-NSA Dasuki, Others Re-Arraigned as N33.2bn Fraud Trial Resumes
