EFCC re-arraigns Ex-NSA Sambo Dasuki, others over alleged N33.2bn fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday re-arraigned former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), and three others before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court over an alleged N33.2 billion fraud.

Dasuki appeared in court alongside Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as two companies, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited, who are co-defendants in the case.

The re-arraignment follows the reassignment of the case by the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf.

Dasuki was initially charged in December 2015 on a 19-count fraud charge, alongside Shuaibu Salisu, former Director of Finance and Administration at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

However, after amendments, Salisu was dropped from the case.

By May 2018, the charges were revised into a 32-count charge, including allegations of criminal breach of trust and fraudulent misappropriation of funds amounting to N33.2 billion.

The prosecution had only called one witness before the case was indefinitely adjourned.

Dasuki is also facing another case marked FCT/HC/CR/42/2015, where he is charged alongside former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir, and their company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.

That case, involving the alleged misappropriation of N19.4 billion, has been transferred to Justice Yusuf Halilu.

When the case was called before Justice Charles Agbaza on Tuesday, Dasuki and the other defendants pleaded not guilty to the 32-count charge.

The prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, requested a trial date, and the judge adjourned proceedings until July 1, 2025 for trial to commence.