EFCC Presents Additional Evidence in N33.2bn Fraud Case Against Dasuki and Others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday tendered additional documents in evidence in the ongoing trial of retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (NSA), and three others before an Abuja High Court.

Dasuki is standing trial alongside a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa, and two companies — Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited — on a 32-count amended charge of criminal breach of trust and dishonest handling of N33.2 billion in public funds.

The EFCC alleges that the defendants misappropriated security funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) accounts between 2014 and 2015, including the disbursement of about N10 billion in foreign currencies from the NSA’s account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) allegedly used for the 2014 presidential primary election of the then-ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges, marked FCT/HC/CR/43/2015, which date back to a case first instituted in 2015.

EFCC Witness Testifies on Financial Transfers

At the resumed hearing, Prosecution Witness 1 (PW1), Adariku Michael, a detective with the EFCC, testified that the Commission received an intelligence report on September 21, 2015, alleging abuse of office and large-scale money laundering linked to the ONSA.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Michael told the court that the report was assigned to a special task force headed by ACE Halimah Kazeem, which immediately commenced investigations.

“The task force wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria to obtain details of transactions from the ONSA account. Our findings revealed that large sums were transferred between October 2014 and April 2015 to various companies and individuals,” the witness said.

He explained that the EFCC’s inquiries to the CBN and several commercial banks produced responses detailing the flow of funds, which were tendered in court and admitted as exhibits.

Defence Reserves Objection

Counsel to the defendants — A.A. Usman (for Dasuki), Solomon Umoh (SAN) (for Baba-Kusa and Acacia Holdings Ltd.), and A.O. Ayodele (for Reliance Referral Hospital Ltd.) — reserved their objections to the newly admitted documents.

Following Umoh’s suggestion, all parties agreed that the defence would be granted access to review the documents before the next sitting to ensure smooth proceedings.

Presiding judge, Justice Charles Agbaza, subsequently adjourned the matter to November 11 for continuation of hearing.

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