Court adjourned Dasuki’s N13.6 billion corruption trial to October 21

An Abuja High Court on Wednesday adjourned retired Col. Sambo Dasuki’s case to October 21 pending the outcome of the meeting of the counsel with the FCT Chief judge, Ishaq Bello.

Mr. Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser, NSA, to former President Goodluck Jonathan is standing trial with four others for alleged diversion of N13.6 billion

The others were Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser; Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former NNPC Executive Director; Acacia Holding Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf adjourned the case after the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, prayed the court to allow counsel in the matter to meet with the chief judge to approve for the files to be moved to Baba-Yusuf’s court.

At the last two sittings, Joseph Daudu, counsel to Mr. Dauski, had prayed the court to consolidate the cases against his client.

The cases were pending before Mr. Baba-Yusuf and Justice Peter Affen.

Mr. Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, sought for an order directing the prosecution to amend charge No FCT/HC/CR/43/ 2015 pending before Mr. Baba-Yusuf, to include the counts in suit No FCT/HC/CR/43/2015, before Mr. Affen.

He said that his prayer was pursuant to sections 6(6)(a), 35(5) and (9) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, and sections 1(1), 208, 396(3), 401 and 492(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

At the resumed hearing, Mr. Jacobs had prayed the court to allow counsel in the matter to meet with Justice Bello to approve the movement of the files to Mr. Baba-Yusuf’s court.

He said that it would enable the matter to go on faster, instead of entertaining the application for consolidation which might need some time amendments and allow for waste of time.

Mr. Baba-Yusuf stood the matter down to enable the counsel consult after which they agreed to meet with the chief judge for his approval.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that at the last sitting on the matter before Justice Affen, Mr. Daudu had prayed the court to wait for the outcome of the one before Baba-Yusuf this Wednesday.

Mr. Affen had adjourned till October 21 for commencement of trial.

[NAN]