Dasuki back to Court: EFCC Re-arraigns Ex-NSA, three others over N33.2bn arms fraud

Stanley Ihedigbo

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has re-arraigned former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd) before Justice Charles Agbaza of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, for fraud.

According to the Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, he was re-arraigned alongside a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings, Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

They are being prosecuted on a 32-count charge, bordering on breach of trust and dishonesty to the tune of N33bn.

Count one reads: “That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd), whilst being the National Security Adviser, on or about 27th November 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, entrusted with dominion over certain properties, to wit: the sum of N10bn being part of the funds in the account of National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the equivalent of which sum you received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in foreign currencies to wit: $47m and 5.6m Euros purporting same to be for special security service, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly released the said amount for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential primary election and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4, LFN 2004.”

Count five reads: “That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) whilst being the National Security Adviser, between 9th October 2014 and 17th April 2015 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1bn belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria which sum was transferred to
Acacia Holding Ltd’s bank account controlled by one Aminu Baba-Kusa purporting same to be payment for organizing prayers and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4, LFN 2004.”

Count 19 reads: “That you Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (Rtd) whilst being the National Security Adviser, between 4th April 2014 and 30th November 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, entrusted with dominion over certain properties, to wit: an aggregate sum of N4bn being part of the funds in the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly transferred same into the bank account of Syvan McNamara Limited purporting the said sum to be payment for physical security infrastructure whereas the said amount was released for the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s gubernatorial elections campaign in Ekiti and Osun States and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4, LFN 2004.”

They pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe to ask the court for a trial date, while the defence counsel prayed the court to allow Dasuki and Kusa to continue to enjoy their existing bail. The prosecution counsel who did not object to the prayer, however, sought assurance for the defendants’ regular presence in court throughout the trial.

Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter till July 1, 2025, for a hearing.

It could be recalled that the trial was initially before Justice Hussain Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Court but has now been reassigned to Justice Agbaza.