FG losses bid to physically arraign Dasuki

The Federal government on Friday failed in a renewed bid to prosecute the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) as the Federal High Court refused an application to summon him to appear before it.
Justice Ademola Adeniyi dismissed the application of the Federal Government seeking an order that will compel Dasuki to be physically present in court.
He dismissed the application as “frivolous, unwarranted and lacking in merit.”
Director of the Public Prosecution (DPP) Mr. Mohammed Diri, insisted that it was wrong for Dasuki to stay away from the court when motions bordering on his criminal trial were being heard.
He argued, that the former NSA was absent on three consecutive times the case against him came up before the high court.
The DPP maintained that Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 made it mandatory that an accused person must always be present in court whenever his case is called up.

Read also: The cock-and-bull story of Sambo Dasuki

The judge agreed with counsel to Dasuki, Mr. Joseph Daudu, SAN, that the DPP misinterpreted the section of the ACJA upon which the application was anchored.
The judge held that going by the law, the presence of an accused person could be dispensed with in court during hearing on interlocutory applications.
He said the presence of Dasuki was not mandatory since the court is still entertaining interlocutory applications from both parties.
Justice Adeniyi slated December 3 to hear an application asking the court to revoke the bail it granted to Dasuki.

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