Again, FG seeks ‘masking’ of witnesses in Dasuki’s trial

The government has again applied  for the protection of witnesses who will  testify against Sambo Dasuki,  former national security adviser, in his trial for alleged unlawful possession of firearm and money laundering.

In a fresh motion on notice brought to the federal high court in Abuja court on Wednesday, the government prayed for an order to shield the identities of its witnesses.

It also asked that the record of proceedings in the trial should not to be made available to the public.

In the motion filed by Oladipo Opeseyi (SAN), counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS); the prosecution,  the applicant asked for an order for the witnesses to be addressed by pseudo names in the cause of the trial.

In February, Adeniyi Ademola, the judge, dismissed a similar motion on protection of witnesses brought to the court by the DSS on the grounds that it was baseless and unwarranted.

The judge held that the government could not ask for protection of witnesses having filed the charges and proof of evidence along with their names.

But in the fresh motion premised on 10 grounds among which were that “Dasuki, as a former NSA, a retired senior military officer and a crown prince of the Sokoto caliphate commands large followership throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria who maybe aggrieved by his trial”.

The DSS also claimed that most of the witnesses were security agents who had expressed fears of being identified by members of the public who are sympathetic to case of the accused.

The secret agency further argued that the security of its witnesses would be blown up if they were made to testify publicly without any protection.

However, counsel to Dasuki, Joseph Daodu(SAN) told Ademola that he had just been served with the motion that he needed time to respond to it.

Ademola, subsequently, adjourned hearing of the motion to June 23.