Ex-NSA Dasuki In Fresh Trouble

It is not yet uhuru for the immediate past National Security Adviser(NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) as he was prevented from traveling on Wednesday night, even as the operatives of the Department of State Security surround his Abuja residence on Thursday.

Dasuki floored the Federal Government and Department of State Service (DSS) in one of the first ruling of Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Abuja, which granted his application for speedy and urgent medical treatment abroad.

The presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola in his ruling, dismissed the counter argument by the Prosecuting Counsel, opposing Dasuki’s need for medical check-up outside the country.

Justice AdemoIa held that in criminal trial an accused person is assumed innocent until proven guilty and that a citizens health is very paramount in any trial case and before the law.

He, therefore, ordered for the release of the applicant’s international passports to enable “him to attend three-weeks medical treatment”.

The presiding judge also “ordered the registrar to release the passport to the defendant with a caveat that “when the defendant returns he must submit his passport within the 72 hours to the Court Registrar”.

According to an informed security source, Dasuki was supposed to travel out of the country on Wednesday night but had to return to his home when he got wind that the DSS operatives were waiting for him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

“Col Dasuki was on his way to the airport yesterday night (Wednesday) when he was told that some security operatives from the DSS were waiting for him at the airport to prevent him from traveling. Their thought was that he might not return for trial if allowed to escape”, the source disclosed.

Speaking further, our source said, “As if that was not enough, this morning (yesterday), the DSS operatives surrounded his house in Asokoro as if he has been put under house arrest and as we talking now, they are still there.”

The source further disclosed that the former Adamawa state governor who is his guarantor was invited after the court ruling by the DSS operatives where he was cautioned of the implication of standing as a guarantor to Dasuki who may not return for his trial.

There is no spokesman for the DSS for now and this made it difficult to get the officail position of the organisation while filing this report.

The former NSA was first charged on Monday August 24, 2015 on a one count charge of illegal possession of firearms but was immediately granted bail on self recognition with Justice Ademola ordering the DSS to submit his seized passport to the court registrar.

On the day of the hearing, the prosecutors brought additional charges bordering on possession of local and foreign currencies against Sambo Dasuki and also sought for Secret Trial of the case.

Concerned about his ill-health, Dasuki asked the court for the release of his travel passport to enable him attend to his personal health issues abroad and as well objected to the secret trial requested by the federal government, preferring open trial of the case for the benefit of the public.