The Federal Government has told a Federal High
Court in Abuja that the immediate past National
Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), is yet
to account for a large cache of sophisticated arms
he imported while in office.
The government said it feared that the missing arms
were in the hands of some unidentified persons that
were sympathetic towards the ex-NSA’s cause.
It stated this in an application filed by its lawyer,
Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), seeking an order
permitting it to shield the identities of its prosecution
witnesses in Dasuki’s ongoing trial before the court.
The Federal Government is prosecuting Dasuki
before the court on four counts of money laundering
and illegal possession of firearms.
The government said in its application filed on June
3, 2016 that although it had recovered some of the
arms and ammunitions, including cash in foreign
currencies in Dasuki’s Abuja home, security
operatives were yet to locate a large volume of
others.
The prosecution said it filed the application because
Dasuki was a man of huge influence across the
country, and that the safety of witnesses it intended
to call would be threatened if their identities were
not shielded.
The application read in part, “The defendant
(Dasuki), while serving as the NSA, imported into
the country a large cache of highly sophisticated
arms and ammunition, most of which have not been
accounted for.
“Upon the search of the defendant’s residence,
some of these arms and ammunition were
recovered, while the whereabouts of others is not
known till date.
“A huge volume of these highly sophisticated arms
and ammunition is feared to be in the possession of
persons, who are sympathetic to the defendant.
“The defendant was the immediate past National
Security Adviser, a retired senior military officer
and crowned prince of Sokoto Caliphate, who
undoubtedly, commands large followership
throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria and,
who may be aggrieved by this trial.
“The fears of highly probable attack on them (the
witnesses) expressed above, has completely
eroded the confidence of the prosecution witnesses
to testify in this case. The grounds mentioned above
constitute special circumstances, hence this
application.”
The prosecution sought among other prayers, an
order allowing prosecution witnesses in the case to
enjoy “witness protection by giving evidence behind
screen to be provided by the court”.
It also sought, “An order directing that the identities
of all prosecution witnesses be not disclosed in any
record or report of proceedings, which are
accessible to the public.
“An order permitting all prosecution witnesses to be
addressed with pseudonyms in the course of
proceedings.”
Okpeseyi informed the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi
Ademola of the pending application during the
Wednesday’s proceedings.
Dasuki’s lawyer, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN),
indicated his intention to oppose the application.
He said he intended to file a counter-affidavit
against the application which he described as
“unfounded”.
The prosecution had earlier on May 18, called its
first prosecution witness, Samuel Ogbu (an
operative of the Department of State Security
Service, who told the court, among others, how
investigators interviewed Dasuki on the arms,
ammunition and cash recovered from his residence.
Justice Ademola on Wednesday adjourned till June
23 and 24 for hearing of the prosecution’s
application.
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