A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to the former
National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
This is the sixth bail granted to the former NSA. However, he has remained
in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The trial judge, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu on Monday described Dasuki’s
continuous detention over the last two and a half years as an aberration
to the rule of law and the contrition.
She, therefore, granted the former NSA bail in the sum of N200 million and
two sureties.
The sureties according to her, must not be lower than grade 16 in the
civil service and where they are private citizens they must be owners of
landed properties in Asokoro, Maitama, Utako or Garki area of Abuja.
Also, each surety is expected to pay a sum of 100 million as bail
guarantee into the court’s litigation account.
Meanwhile, the judge took a swipe at the (DSS), stating that it cannot
give itself the powers to met out punishment at a person, as only the
court has the powers to do so at the end of a trial.
She, therefore, ordered that should the DSS want to interview the former
NSA in the future, it must be done without detention and on a working day.
On his part, the former NSA also filed a Fundamental Right to Liberty
suit, asking the court to order the DSS to release him after two and a
half years in detention without trial.
He also asked the court to award him five billion Naira as general damages
and asked it to order the DSS as well as the Attorney-General of the
Federation to tender a public apology to him for a long, unlawful and
illegal detention.
Justice Ojukwu, however, concluded that since bail had been granted, the
court is not inclined to award damages.
The Federal Government had arrested Dasuki in 2015 over an alleged
diversion of $2.1billion arms funds.
Subsequently, he was arraigned on 18 counts but his trial has since then
suffered series of delays.
In May 2018, the trial suffered a fresh delay as the Federal Government
filed 32 amended charges against him and three others.