Arraigned before Justice Yusuf Buba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, in Maitama, Abuja, on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged misappropriation of N32 billion meant for arms procurement, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is praying the court not to grant former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, rtd, bail.
According to the anti-graft agency, Dasuki may abscond if granted bail, and this is considering the weight of his alleged offence. Justice Buba will ,however, decide whether or not he agrees with that today, by 12 noon, after hearing Dasuki’s bail application.
The embattled erstwhile NSA was arraigned yesterday, Monday, December 14, alongside the former Directors in charge of Finance and Administration in his office, Messrs Shuaibu Salisu and Aminu Baba-Kusa. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The other reasons given by the Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, include: The severity of the punishment that awaits Dasuki upon conviction may warrant his jumping bail; as a former military officer and NSA, he could equally deploy his influence to jeopardize his on-going trial and again, because he still has other cases and allegations awaiting him at both the FCT High Court and Federal High Court.
Dasuki’s counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, of course, will be telling the court why all the above reasons should be disregarded and his client granted bail.
Dasuki, it would be recalled, was eventually arrested after a long and dramatic battle with both the Department of State Services, DSS and EFCC. He was accused of misappropriating N32 billion arms money meant for containing terrorism under Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. And in the course of investigations, other notable names have also cropped up. And among those of them that have already been picked up are Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder of Daar Communications and Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, former Governor of Sokoto State.
Names of ThisDay publisher, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, PDP top shot, Chief Bode George, former Anambra and Rivers Governors, Chief Jim Nwobodo and Dr. Peter Odili, have also been linked to the mess. But other than Obaigbena who has been officially invited by EFCC, the others are still in what could be rightly described as the realm of speculation.