Dasuki did not choose to stay in detention, lawyer faults DSS claims

Ahmed Raji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and lead lawyer for detained former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), has faulted claims by the Department of State Services (DSS) that his client chose to remain in its custody.

Dasuki has been in the DSS custody since December 2015 in apparent violation of several court orders for his release.

The DSS, while reacting to widespread criticisms over its culture of violating court orders in the wake of its refusal to comply with the court order for the release of the convener of #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, from custody, claimed that it continued to hold Dasuki and the leader of Shiite Muslims in Nigeria, Sheikh El-Zakzaky, and his wife because they opted to remain in the detention of the agency.

In his reaction to the DSS claim, Raji wondered why an individual would opt to remain in custody.

He said: “It is, therefore, most incorrect and inaccurate to claim that Col. Dasuki prayed the court to be kept in DSS facility.

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“This is far from the truth. Perhaps, there is no synergy between the counsel appearing for the government in Dasuki matters and the DSS hierarchy. Consequently, we appeal to all authorities, and principally – DSS, to comply with the various extant orders of the court by immediately releasing Col. Dasuki (retd.).”

Detailing the several efforts at having Dasuki released on bail, Raji recalled how on November 3, 2015, the Federal High Court, Abuja, after granting bail to Dasuki on self-recognisance, also granted him leave to travel abroad for a three-week medical consultation on account of failing health.

According to him, before Dasuki could enforce the court orders “officers of DSS laid siege to his house in Asokoro in brazen defiance of the order of court and deliberately disallowed him from accomplishing the terms of the order.”

“The Federal Government while confirming the continued detention of Col. Dasuki explained that such actions were due to the severity of the alleged offences. Excerpts of these events were well stated in several reports of national dailies of 31st December 2015,” the lawyer stated.

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