FG determined on trying Dasuki secretly, files fresh motion

The Federal Government has for the second time asked an Abuja Federal High Court to protect witnesses who are to testify against former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, by not making their names and addresses public.

The fresh application in the case of Dasuki, who is facing charges of unlawful possession of fire-arms and money laundering, was brought by Federal Government’s new prosecutor in the matter, Oladipo Opeseyi.

The government in the motion dated January 23 and filed January 24, is contending that witnesses to testify against Dasuki should be protected by the court by not making their names and addresses public in the course of the trial.

However, the defendant is opposing the application and asked the court to sack the motion because it lacks merit and a gross abuse of court process.

Dasuki in a counter affidavit filed by his lead counsel, Ahmed Raji, contended that it begs reason to think that the Federal Government would for the second time demand secret trail in the matter having lost in the first motion.

He further maintained that the first application was argued by the then Director of Public Prosecution of Nigeria, Mohamed Diri, before Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who dismissed the request on the ground that the witnesses were already known by the public having given their names through the internet.

Raji, therefore, argued that the Federal Government returning to court with the same motion constituted a gross abuse of court process, adding that the prosecutor would have gone to the Appeal Court to contest Justice Ademola’s ruling, if he was not satisfied with it.

He prayed the trial judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed to disregard the fresh motion for secret trial.
According to Raji, allowing that motion would amount to violation of Dasuki’s right to fair trial as well as go against the principle of the rule of law and natural justice.

Read also: Key witness against Justice Ademola alleges assassination attempt

Mr. Opeseyi, the prosecution counsel, however, denied moving the motion when it came up on Tuesday. His reason was because the defence had just served him a voluminous counter affidavit objecting to the motion.

Indicating to Justice Mohammed that so many fundamental issues were raised in the counter affidavit and that plethora of authorities were also cited in it, he applied for an adjournment to enable him examine the counter affidavit to be able to correctly respond to it.

As the defence did not object to the request for the adjournment, Justice Mohammed therefore fixed hearing of the motion for March 1.

The former NSA is facing a 2-count charge of unlawful possession of fire-arms and money laundering, for which he had pleaded not guilty to and was in 2015 admitted to bail by Justice Ademola.

The bail was disregarded by the Department of State Security (DSS), which rearrested him and kept him in its custody since December 2015.
Bail granted to Dasuki by ECOWAS court, was also ignored by DSS.

 

 

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