Sambo Dasuki makes first court appearance after release from detention

The immediate-past former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, on Thursday, made his first court appearance after his release from four-year-long detention.

The ex-NSA was kept in detention for that period, in spite of the bail granted him on numerous occasions by various courts.

On Thursday, he appeared before Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja for his trial on charges of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms instituted against him in 2015 by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The ex-NSA who appeared more relaxed than he looked in his previous court appearances, opted to remain standing in the dock even when the judge offered that he should sit.

There are two separate sets of charges of alleged diversion of funds earmarked for the procurement of arms meant fighting Boko Haram in the North East pending against him at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

But none of the two other cases has come up since December 24, 2019, when he was released from the custody of the Department of State Services.

At Thursday’s proceedings before Justice Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Dasuki, through his lawyer, Olukayode Ariwoola, withdrew two separate applications which he filed in protest against his continuation of trial without being released from illegal custody.

In withdrawing the applications, on Thursday Ariwoola said they had been overtaken by the event of the release of his client.

Responding, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Dipo Okpeseyi(SAN), said he had no objection to the request to have the applications withdrawn.

The judge subsequently struck out the applications and adjourned trial till March 11 and 12.

-PUNCH