By: Sunday Ameh
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday tendered additional documentary evidence in the ongoing trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), over the alleged diversion of N33.2 billion.
Dasuki, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan, is facing a 32-count amended charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering. He is standing trial alongside a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa, and two firms — Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
At the resumed hearing before Justice Charles Agbaza of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, the first prosecution witness (PW1), Adariku Michael, a detective with the EFCC, told the court that large sums were allegedly transferred from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) account between October 2014 and April 2015.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the witness said the investigation followed an intelligence report dated September 21, 2015, detailing alleged abuse of office and movement of huge funds.
“The ONSA moved huge sums of money within the period under review into several companies’ accounts. We wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria and commercial banks requesting details of the transactions,” Michael testified.
The witness stated that documents received from the financial institutions were analysed, submitted, and admitted in evidence by the court. Defence lawyers — A.A. Usman (for Dasuki), Solomon Umoh, SAN (for Baba-Kusa and Acacia Holdings), and A.O. Ayodele (for Reliance Referral Hospital) — reserved their objections until later in the trial.
Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter to November 11 for continuation of hearing.
The EFCC alleges that Dasuki authorised the release of about N10 billion in foreign currencies from ONSA accounts at the Central Bank of Nigeria to support the 2014 presidential primary election of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The case, which initially began in 2015, was re-filed and the defendants re-arraigned on March 25, 2025, to reflect amended counts and updated witness lists.
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