EFCC RESUMES TRIAL OF FORMER NSA, SAMBO DASUKI, OVER N33.2B ARMS PROCUREMENT FRAUD

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has fixed July 1, 2025 for resumption of the trial of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki, Rtd, over alleged arms procurement fraud during the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), re-arraigned Dasuki and three others before Justice Charles Agbaza over alleged 32-counts of dishonesty and breach of trust involving N33,200,000,000 (Thirty-Three Billion, Two Hundred Million Naira). The other accused persons include a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Aminu Baba Kusa, as well as two companies, identified as Acacia Holdings, Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited. Count one reads: “That you COL. MOHAMMED SAMBO DASUKI (RTD.) whilst being the National Security Adviser, on or about 27th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, entrusted with dominion over certain properties, to wit: the sum of N10, 000, 000, 000 (Ten Billion Naira) being part of the funds in the account of National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the equivalent of which sum you received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in foreign currencies to wit: $47,000,000 (Forty Seven Million Dollars) and 5.6 million Euros purporting same to be for special security service, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly released the said amount for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential primary election and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4, LFN 2004.” Count five reads: “That you COL. MOHAMMED SAMBO DASUKI (RTD.) whilst being the National Security Adviser, between 9th October, 2014 and 17th April, 2015 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1, 450,000,000 (One Billion, Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) belonging to the Federal Republic of Nigeria which sum was transferred to ACACIA HOLDINGS LIMITED'S bank account controlled by one Aminu Baba-Kusa purporting same to be payment for organizing prayers and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4, LFN 2004.” Count 19 reads: “That you COL. MOHAMMED SAMBO DASUKI (RTD.) whilst being the National Security Adviser, between 4th April, 2014 and 30th November, 2014 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, entrusted with dominion over certain properties, to wit: an aggregate sum of N4, 685,000,000 (Four Billion, Six Hundred and Eighty-Five Million Naira) being part of the funds in the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly transferred same into the bank account of SYVAN MCNAMARA LIMITED purporting the said sum to be payment for physical security infrastructure whereas the said amount was released for the Peoples' Democratic Party's gubernatorial elections campaign in Ekiti and Osun States and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4, LFN 2004.” EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, who confirmed the development in a statement, disclosed in a statement that when the charges were read to the accused persons in court, they pleaded “not guilty”. Following the development, the prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, to ask the court for a trial date, while the defence counsel prayed the court to allow Dasuki and Kusa to continue to enjoy their existing bail. Thereafter, Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter till July 1, 2025 for hearing.