EFCC Floors Sambo Dasuki At Supreme Court Over Continued Detention

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has obeyed the bails granted the former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki in respect of his continued detention.

The apex court held that following the EFCC compliance with the lower courts’ ruling on his bail, the Controller of Prison in Kuje, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), implemented the bail on December 29, 2015.

Justice Ajembi Eko, in his ruling today, Friday, in the case, said that the appeal brought by Dasuki lacked merit and constituted abuse of court process and therefore dismissed it.

Dasuki had filed an appeal challenging his continued detention and praying for suspension of his trial pending the time the bail orders were obeyed by government, but Justice Ajembi Eko said that the EFCC cannot be held responsible for the continued detention of the Ex-NSA since the detention was carried out by the Department State Service (DSS).

Justice Eko in the unanimous judgement, therefore said that since the bail order was implemented by the Prison Controller it has been obeyed as far as the charges against him at the FCT High Court was concerned.

The Apex Court said that from the claims and counter-claims of Dasuki and EFCC, it was clear that Dasuki was rearrested at the premises of the Kuje Prison on December 29, 2015 by DSS.

The Supreme Court therefore affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal and the FCT High Court which had in their separate decisions held that EFCC cannot be held responsible for the detention of Dasuki by DSS.

The Court ordered Dasuki and EFCC to go back to the FCT High Court to continue with the trial in the charges brought aginst him by the anti-graft agency.

The Federal High Court under Justice Adeniyi Ademola, FCT High Court under Justice Peter Affem and another FCT High Court under Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf had at different times, granted bails to Dasuki. He was therefore released from Kuje prison on December 29, 2015 after meeting the bail conditions.

However,  immediately after his release, operatives of DSS re-arrested  him and had since held him. [myad]