Dasuki Makes First Appearance In Court One Month After Release From Detention

One month after his release from a four-year-long detention, immediate past former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki made his first appearance in court on Thursday.

Dasuki was finally released from detention on 24 December, 2019 after he had been kept in detention despite been granted bail on several occasions by various courts.

 The former NSA, who is standing trail on charges of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms instituted against him in 2015 by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, appeared before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court Abuja for the trial.

The ex-NSA who appeared more relaxed than he looked in his previous court appearances, opted to remain standing in the dock even when the judge offered that he should sit.

There are two separate sets of charges of alleged diversion of funds earmarked for the procurement of arms meant fighting Boko Haram in the North East pending against him at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

But none of the two other cases has come up since December 24, 2019, when he was released from the custody of the Department of State Services.

At Thursday’s proceedings before Justice Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Dasuki, through his lawyer, Olukayode Ariwoola, withdrew two separate applications which he filed in protest against his continuation of trial without being released from illegal custody.

In withdrawing the applications, on Thursday Ariwoola said they had been overtaken by the event of the release of his client.

Responding, the prosecuting counsel, Dipo Okpeseyi(SAN), said he had no objection to the request to have the applications withdrawn.

The judge subsequently struck out the applications and adjourned trial till March 11 and 12.