The Nation Newspaper

Tag: former National Security Adviser (NSA)

  • Court refuses Dasuki’s request to merge charges

    Court refuses Dasuki’s request to merge charges

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama Thursday rejected a request by former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki for a consolidation of two charges pending against him and others before the court.

    Ruling Thursday, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf said Dasuki did not substantiate his claim that he will suffer double geopardy should he be tried separately on both charges.

    “The allegation of double jeopardy was not substantiated because trial has not commenced in the other matter, so it is premature to consolidate the charges,” the judge said.

    Justice Baba-Yusuf also rejected Dasuki’s argument that the simultaneous prosecution of both cases amounted to an abuse of court process.

    He said the persons involved in both cases are not the same and the transactions on the two charges were not carried out on the same date.

    Dasuki’s lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN) had, while arguing the application on March 2 this year, urged the court to consolidate consolidate the two charges marked: CR/42/2015: FRN VS Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) & 4 others and CR/43/2015: FRN VS Bashir Yuguda, Sabo Dasuki & 4 others.

    Raji said the application was brought pursuant to Sections 211, 212 and 213 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

    He said the application was intended to avoid the abuse of court processes and prevented his client from suffering double jeopardy.

    Prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) opposed the application and said it was unfortunate that Dasuki chose to file the application.

    Jacobs, who described the application as an abuse of court’s process, noted that Dasuki filed a similar application dated May 21, 2016 which he was yet to withdraw.

    He noted that parties had agreed to have the two cases tried before the same judge, which necessitated a letter from Dasuki’s other lawyer, Joseph Daudu to the Chief Judge of the High Court of the FCT, advising that the two cases be handled by a judge in the interest of speedy dispensation of justice.

    Jacobs, who described the application as a ploy to frustrate the trial urged the court to dismiss it.

    Justice Baba Yusuf, after his ruling yesterday, adjourned to today for trial.

    Dasuki is, in the first charge of 22 counts, named with a former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir Bafarawa, a former Director of Finance and Administration in the office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda an  Sagir’s firm – Dalhatu Investment as defendants.

    They are charged, among others, with diverting about N13bn said to have been meant for the purchase of arms.

    In the second charge of 19 counts, Dasuki, Salisu, and Aminu Baba-Kusa and Baba-Kusa’s two firms – Acacia Holdings Ltd and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited – are accused of diverting N32bn meant for purchase of arms.

    The two cases are now before Justice Baba- Yusuf.

     

  • Dasukigate: FG to pay N15m to Dasuki for damages

    Dasukigate: FG to pay N15m to Dasuki for damages

    …Declares his arrest and continued detention illegal

    The Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has declared the arrest and continued detention of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki unlawful, arbitrary and a violation of his right to liberty.

    The Court said it was wrong for the Federal Government to continue to detain him over undisclosed offences after he had been granted bail by three deferment courts before which he had been arraigned.

    The court, in a unanimous judgment of a three-man panel, read by Justice Friday Chijioke Nwoke awarded N15 million damages against the Federal Government and ordered it to immediately release him and his properties that were confiscated by state’s agents.

    The court, which held that the Nigerian state was unable to substantiate its continued detention of Dasuki, also faulted the search of his houses in Abuja and Sokoto without valid search warrant.

    The judgment was on a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed earlier this year by Dasuki.

  • ‘How Fayose, Obanikoro, Dasuki shared N4.7b’ – EFCC

    ‘How Fayose, Obanikoro, Dasuki shared N4.7b’ – EFCC

    *Court remands Ekiti Gov’s ally in Kuje prison

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday gave details of how Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, former National Security Adviser (NSA),  Sambo Dasuki and ex-Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro  allegedly removed N4,685,723,000 from the account of the Office of the NSA (ONSA), which they subsequently distributed.

    The EFCC, which formally arraigned an associate of Fayose, Abiodun Agbele before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday  in relation to the purportedly diverted funds, made public its findings on how the money was allegedly distributed.

    The commission, in a court document, said its investigation into the “alleged dissipation of public funds and abuse of office” by Dasuki led it discover that between April 4 and November 13, 2014 Obanikoro conspired with Fayose and Dasuki “to fraudulently remove the sum of N4,685,723,000 from the account of ONSA, which sum was fraudulently transferred to a company known as Sylvan Mcnamara  Ltd, with account No; 0026223714 domiciled with Diamond Bank Plc.

    “Upon the receipt of the proceeds of crime, Musliu Obanikoro (the then Minister of Defence for State) fraudulently conveyed the sum of N1,219,490,000 to Akure to the use of Mr. Ayodele Fayose. On the 17th and 18th day of June 2014, one Mr. Alade Oluseye (staff of Zenith Bank, Akure branch) in company of defendant/applicant (Abiodun Agbele, a front of Mr. Ayodele fayose) went to the Akure Airport and took delivery of the said sum from Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro and others.

    “On the 18th June 2014 the appellant, Abiodun Agbele received an instruction Mr. Ayodele Fayose to collect the money and he thereafter made cash deposit in the sum of N219,490,000 to De privateer Ltd account No:1013835889 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc. Agbele is the operator and sole signatory of the Zenith Bank Plc account No:1013835889 belonging to De Privateer Ltd.

    “On the 19th of June 2014 the defendant/applicant also made cash deposit in the sum of N300,000,000 being proceeds from the N1,219,490,000 into the said De privateer Ltd account. On 23rd the defendant/applicant deposited the sum of N200,000,000 into Zenith Bank account No: 1003126654 in the name of Ayodele Fayose.

    “The defendant/applicant, in further dissipating the funds, being proceeds of the crime, carried out various transactions including payments to Spotless Investment Ltd, Still Earth Ltd, etc on the instruction and for the benefit of Mr. Ayodele Fayose,” the EFCC said in a counter affidavit filed against a bail application by Agbale.

    Earlier, the court took Agbele’s plea on the 11-count charge of money laundering brought against him and three companies – Sylvan Mcnamara Ltd, De Privateer Ltd and Spotless Investment Ltd. He pleaded not guilty following which his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN) argued his bail application, to which lead prosecution lawyer, Jonson Ojogbane objected on the grounds that Agbele would jump bail and interfere with prosecution witnesses if granted bail.

    A detective with the EFCC, Samson Oloje, who deposed to the counter-affidavit, described Agbele as “a flight risk” and that he has “perfected plans to flee from the country until he was arrested.

    “The applicant in conjunction with Musiliu Obanikoro (now at large) colluded to move and aid the escape of Olalekan Ogunseye, a principal suspect in this case, out of Nigeria and if released on bail, will also flee from jurisdiction.

    “The defendant/applicant, prior to his arrest, was still in contact with the said Olalekan and plans have also been concluded to get the defendant out of the country by Musiliu Obanikoro and his principal, Ayodele Fayose, the Governor of Ekiti State.”

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, after listening to arguments by parties on the bail application, adjourned to today for ruling. He ordered that Agbele be remanded in Kuje prison pending the ruling.

    In count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/154/2016, Agbele is accused of conspiring with Obanikoro (now at large), Sylvan Mcnamara ltd, A. O. Adewale (now at large), Tunde Oshinowo (now at large) and Olalekan Ogunseye (now at large), while being sole signatory to the Zenith Bank account  of Sylvan Mcnamara ltd,  between April 4 and November 13, 2014 “to commit illegal act to wit: laundering the sum of N4,685,723,000,000 being sum transferred from the Office of the National Security Adviser with Central Bank of Nigeria by Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

    He was, in count two, alleged to have worked with banikoro, Lt. A. O. Adewale (now at large) and Dr. Tunde Oshinowo (now at large) “on or about 17th of June 2015 directly take possession or control of the sum of N1,219,000,000 being part of the N4,685,723,000,000” allegedly removed from the ONSA account with CBN..

    Agbele was in counts three, accused of paying N100milion into a Zenith Bank account No: 1010170969 belonging to Spotles Investment Ltd around June 17, 2015. He was, in count five said to have around June 18, 2014 “di retain the sum of N219,490,000 in Zenith Bank account number 1013835889 belonging to De Privateer  Ltd (while he was the company’s Managing Director).

    Agbele was accused, in count eight, of transferring, on or about 26th June 2014, N137m “into the account of fayose Ayodele domiciled in Zenith Bank, Akure branch with account number: 1003126654,” when he ought to have reasonably known that the funds formed part of the proceeds of “unlawful activity of Dasuki and Obanikoro to wit: Criminal breach of trust and fraud.”

    The defendant was further accused, in count 11 of converting about N263m to personal use while he was the Director of Finance and Account of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) around June 17, 2015.

  • Fayose: I didn’t receive Arms cash from Dasuki, Obanikoro

    Fayose: I didn’t receive Arms cash from Dasuki, Obanikoro

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has insisted that he did not receive a dime from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) and former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro for the purpose of funding his campaign in the 2014 governorship poll.

    Fayose who is under fire for alleged complicity in the sharing of N4.7 billion being part of the $2.1 billion meant for the purchase of arms to fight insurgency in the Northeast alleged that the anti-corruption crusade is being used to settle political scores.

    Speaking on Friday in Ado Ekiti at a rally organized by Ekiti Private Sector Union, an amalgamation of informal unions in the state, Fayose claimed that the ongoing onslaught against him was aimed at taking Ekiti by force by the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the next governorship election scheduled for 2018.

    He said Ekiti people will defend the state against the “APC invasion” in 2018 saying he is not afraid of death or incarceration in the process of defending the mandate given to him at the June 21, 2014 election.

    The governor maintained that the freezing of his personal bank accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was “politically motivated and intended to silence a credible voice of opposition against a dictatorial government.”

    Fayose said: “They said I collected a sum of N1.3 billion from the office of the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki to fund my election. Some even said I collected it through Mr Musiliu Obanikoro. Let me put it on records that I did not know Col Dasuki and Obanikoro has not come out openly to indict me, because he has not returned from abroad .

    “They said similar thing in 2006. It was all about second term then, because they didn’t want me to contest for second term. They said the N1.3b project which I initiated was a scam, but God brought me back. The APC and  EFCC conspirators took me before a Judge and I got justice.

    “When God says yes, nobody can say no. God has given me uncommon favour over my enemies. I am presently using the mandate of God and Ekiti people and they are ready to defend the mandate and that is why you proudly came out today to express support for me.

    “Nigerians have never had it so bad like this. People are suffering and hungry and President Buhari says he is fighting corruption. How can the FG increase fuel from N86 to N145? The price of kerosene is now over N200.

    “No act of intimidation and harassment will shut my mouth. I will continue to talk about national issues. When you want to campaign or do marriage, people will give you money and my own can’t be an exemption. I am not afraid of incarceration or death.

    “APC problem is 2018 and as the God liveth, they are going nowhere. We will stand up and defend our state and the money they said they have gotten through anti-corruption should be spent for Nigerians.”

    The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman, Clement Adekola, his Road Transport Employers Association (RTEAN) counterpart and Okada Riders Association boss, Niyi Dahunsi were inaugurated as Ekiti Private Sector Union Chairman, Secretary and Vice Chairman respectively, among other executive members.

    The newly-inaugurated Union pledged their allegiance to Fayose and called on the EFCC to stop distracting Fayose.

    Adekola warned the APC against destabilizing Ekiti over the loss it suffered during  the 2014 governorship poll.

    Agbede asserted that the alleged conspiracy between the federal government and the opposition will fail and won’t materialize, just as he condemned alleged use of federal might  to rattle the governor.