The Supreme Court has thrown out an appeal brought by ex-National Security Adviser retired Col. Sambo Dasuki over his continued detention for lacking merit. The former NSA is standing trial for alleged mismanagement of $2.1 billion dollars in federal funds allocated to purchase arms to fight Boko Haram insurgents.
Justice Ejembi Eko pronounced that Dasuki’s continuous detention by the federal government was not at the instance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that put him on trial. The judge held that the bails granted Dasuki in respect of criminal charges brought against him by EFCC have been obeyed, having been implemented by the Comptroller of Prisons in Kuje on December 29, 2015.
The former national security adviser under the Jonathan administration had approached the Supreme Court to challenge his continued detention and also prayed for the suspension of his trial pending the time bail orders were obeyed by government. But in his judgment, Justice Ejembi Eko said that the EFCC cannot be held responsible for Dasuki’s continued detention since the detention was carried out by the Department State Service (DSS).
Judge Eko held that since the bail order was implemented by the Prison Comptroller it has been obeyed as far as the charges against him at the FCT High Court was concerned. The Court said that from the claims and counter-claims of Dasuki and EFCC, it was clear that he (Dasuki) was rearrested at the premises of the Kuje Prison on December 29, 2015, by the DSS. The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal and the FCT High Court which had, in separate decisions, held that the EFCC cannot be held responsible for the detention of Dasuki by the DSS.
