DSS ‘refuses’ to free Dasuki ahead of New Year

Ahmed Raji (SAN), counsel to Sambo Dasuki, is accusing the Department of State Services (DSS) of refusal to release the former national security adviser despite perfecting the conditions of a third bail granted by an Abuja high court.

According to Raji, the DSS took custody of Dasuki in a dramatic turn shortly after perfecting the third bail granted him by Justice Peter Affem, after two other courts had done same.

Speaking with PRNigeria, Raji said the former NSA had met all the bail conditions given by Affem, but DSS operatives refused to comply with the court order.

“Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court also in Abuja had granted the ex NSA bail on November 3 in the charges of unlawful possession of firearms but the bail was on November 4 scuttled by the SSS who, instead of obeying court order, laid siege on his Asokoro Residence and placed him under house arrest,” he said.

“The claim of the security agents was that Dasuki was being investigated on another matter. He was later arraigned before justice Yusuf Baba of the Abuja High court on breach of trust an was granted bail but which was also refused to be obeyed by the security operatives.

“Dasuki was also moved to another high court of Justice Peter Affem who also admitted him on bail on the ground that the offence was a bailable one. He had since met the bail conditions but was not released from the custody of SSS after his detention in at DSS, EFCC and Kuje Prison in Abuja.”

Raji maintained that he personally perfected the bail condition of his client, and described the action of the security agents as “an affront to the rule of law under democrazy“.

He appealed to the authorities of the security agents and the federal government to “respect court order and allow Dasuki to enjoy the bail granted him by a law court of the country”.

On December 18, Hussein Baba Yusuf, justice of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Abuja, had granted a bail in the sum of N250m to Dasuki, who is facing a 19-count charge of criminal breach of trust to the tune of N13 billion, alongside Salisu Shuaibu, a director of finance in the office of the NSA, and one Aminu Kusa.

They were asked to provide a surety who owns a property in the FCT worth N250 million. The surety must not be below the rank of a director in the civil service and must also swear to an affidavit of means in addition to depositing his international passport with the court.

They must also inform the court whenever they need to travel out of Abuja.

Three days later, Affem, justice of the federal capital territory high court, ordered that Dasuki should be remanded in Kuje prison in Abuja, pending the perfection of the condition of the bail.

“The bail is not about setting anybody free,” he said. “The primary essence of bail is to ensure that the accused person attends trial.”

However, as Muslims engaged in different activities to commemorate Eid Maulud, the birth of Prophet Mohammed, days later, Dasuki was spending his fourth day within the confines of the prison.