Dasuki: My detention scaring away investors

Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA), says investors confidence in the country is shaken because of the federal government’s refusal to obey court orders.

Dasuki, who was speaking through his counsel, Joseph Daodu (SAN), before Adeniyi Ademola, justice of the federal high court, Abuja, on Thursday, urged the court to halt his trial until the government complied with its order granting him bail.

“How will the government look like at the end of the day? Will investors be confident in this country when court make orders, but they are not obeyed?” he said.

In November, 2015, Justice Ademola had granted Dasuki bail, but he was rearrested immediately after his release from Kuje prison by the Department of State Services (DSS).

On February 16, Dipo Okpeseyi (SAN), counsel to the DSS, had announced to the court  that the prosecution was ready for trial to commence.

But Daodu said that the defence counsel was not ready to proceed with the trial because the federal government was still keeping the accused person in detention despite an order of the court granting him bail.

“We cannot be ready for trial until the defendant enjoys his constitutional rights,” he had said.

“We apply that we should be given time to prepare the defence. The conduct of the prosecution has not enabled him to enjoy his constitutional rights.

“The worst is that for about seven weeks we do not know where he is.

“Any of us here who proceed to defend an accused person in this circumstance may lose his license of practice.”

However, Okpeseyi argued that the prosecution was not stopping Dasuki from enjoying his freedom.

He said that the accused person was not being allegedly held for the charges before the court.

He therefore asked the court to reject the request for adjournment and to commence trial.

On Thursday, both parties argued for and against Dasuki’s application for discharge with the prosecution restating its point that the accused person was being held for a different offence.

The court, thereafter, fixed April 4, for ruling on the application.

Dasuki is facing a four-count charge of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms brought against him by the DSS.

He is also facing multiple counts of laundering money at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Abuja.