The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is scheduled to re-arraign former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), and ex-General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa, alongside two companies—Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited—before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) today.
This new arraignment comes after the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, transferred the case to Justice Charles Agbaza. Previously, Justice Baba-Yusuf, who had been hearing the case, passed the responsibility to Agbaza, where the case, marked FCT/HC/CR/43/2015, will start afresh.
Dasuki, who served as NSA under former President Goodluck Jonathan, and the other defendants, including Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance and Administration at the Office of the National Security Adviser, were first arraigned on December 14, 2015, facing 19 counts of money laundering and breach of trust amounting to N13.5 billion. The charges were later amended, and on May 11, 2018, the defendants were re-arraigned on a 32-count charge involving N33.2 billion in funds misappropriated for arms procurement to fight Boko Haram.
The prosecution had only presented one witness, the investigating officer, before the case was adjourned indefinitely.
In addition to this case, the EFCC had filed another case against Dasuki in 2015, marked FCT/HC/CR/42/2015, which involved charges against Dasuki, former Minister of State for Finance Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, ex-Sokoto State governor Attahiru Bafarawa, his son Sagir, and their company, Dalhatu Investment Limited. They were charged with criminal breach of trust and misappropriating N19.4 billion in public funds. This case was transferred to Justice Yusuf Halilu after Baba-Yusuf became the Chief Judge.
Both cases have faced delays, primarily due to the Department of State Services (DSS) refusing to release Dasuki on bail despite orders from competent courts, including Justice Baba-Yusuf.
The current arraignment follows growing pressure on the Chief Judge to transfer the case, as his heavy responsibilities overseeing the FCT judiciary prompted concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
