Deborah Akinyosoye
A former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), alongside three others, was re-arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Charles Agbaza of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Dasuki, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Baba-Kusa, and two companies, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited, on a 32-count related to an alleged N33.2 billion fraud. The charges include accusations of criminal breach of trust and the dishonest release of public funds.
The re-arraignment follows the reassignment of the case by the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who previously presided over the matter. Dasuki’s legal journey with the EFCC began nearly a decade ago. On December 14, 2015, he was first arraigned before Justice Baba-Yusuf alongside Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), on a 19-count charge tied to an alleged N15.5 billion fraud. The charges were later amended, with Salisu’s name removed, and on May 11, 2018, Dasuki and the current co-defendants faced a fresh 32-count involving N33.2 billion. That trial stalled after the prosecution called only one witness, an investigating officer whose testimony remained incomplete before the case was indefinitely adjourned.
In a separate but related matter, the EFCC in 2015 charged Dasuki alongside Bashir Yuguda, a former Minister of State for Finance; Attahiru Bafarawa, a former Sokoto State governor; Bafarawa’s son, Sagir; and Dalhatu Investment Limited. That case, involving a 25-count of criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N19.4 billion, was recently transferred to Justice Yusuf Halilu. Both trials faced repeated delays, largely due to the Department of State Services’ refusal to release Dasuki on bail despite multiple court orders granting him such relief.
During Tuesday’s hearing, all defendants pleaded not guilty to the 32 counts presented. Prosecution counsel Oluwaleke Atolagbe requested a trial date, while defense lawyers A.A. Usman (representing Dasuki) and Richard Ibiye (representing Baba-Kusa) asked the court to allow their clients to continue on their existing bail terms, noting their consistent attendance at prior proceedings.
The prosecution raised no objection but emphasized the need for the defendants’ presence throughout the trial. Justice Agbaza, after reviewing submissions, ruled that the defendants would remain on their existing bail and adjourned the case to July 1, 2025, for trial.
The case continues to draw attention as part of the EFCC’s broader efforts to address high-profile financial misconduct allegations stemming from Dasuki’s tenure as National Security Adviser under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.