Former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki is now battling for bail, even as Justice Peter Affem of the Federal Capital Territory’s High Court in Abuja fixed tomorrow, Wednesday, to decide whether to grant such bail or not.
Dasuki, who has been ordered by the court to be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had today, along with the former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, and three others denied allegations of diversions, misappropriation and breech of public trust in respect of N19.4 billion criminal charges brought against them by the Federal Government.
The six accused persons are facing a 22 count charge before Justice Peter Affem.
Counsel to the Federal Government, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), requested for an adjournment of the trial till next year to enable him assemble his witnesses even as counsel to Dasuki, Ahmed Raji (SAN), raised the issue of bail for the accused persons, adding that motions for their bail have been filed and served on the prosecution.
Jacobs confirmed that he has been served with the application for bail of all the accused persons and with the consent of all the lawyers in the trial, Justice Affem adjourned hearing in the bail application until Wednesday.
This was even as another High Court in the FCT presided by Justice Sani Yusuf, had today, adjourned ruling on bail for Dasuki to Friday.
Dasuki, who was arraigned before Justice Yusuf alongside a former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu; a former Group General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Kura; and two firms, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Reference Hospital, had on Monday filed for bail after pleading not guilty to the 19-count charge preferred against them by the EFCC.
After over two hours of arguments and counter-arguments from counsel to both parties, Yusuf adjourned bail ruling to Friday. [myad]
