Impunity: 7 times ex-NSA Dasuki granted bail

For the seventh time, the former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki has been granted bail. Several bails granted the former NSA to former Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan was disobeyed by the Nigerian authority.

Dasuki has been in the cell of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2015 when he was arrested over alleged diversion of $2.1billion arms funds.

The court has released him on six previous occasions but the federal government refused to honour the order, in some cases filing fresh charges against him.

Here are all the seven times the court has granted him bail:
August 2015

According to TheCable, the former NSA was first granted bail on August 30, 2015, by Adeniyi Ademola, then presiding judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court.

Ademola granted Dasuki bail on self-recognition following no objections by Mohammed Diri, the prosecuting counsel.

December 2015

On December 18, 2015, Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf of the FCT High Court granted Dasuki bail in the sum of N250 million bail alongside Salisu Shuaibu, a director of finance in the office of the NSA and one Aminu Kusa.

They were asked to provide a surety who owns a property in the FCT worth N250 million.

January 2017

Again, Justice Yusuf reaffirmed the bail on Dasuki January 24, 2017 on the grounds that he was entitled to it and having being admitted to same since 2015 when the Federal Government brought criminal charges against him.

Dasuki and five others were re-arraigned before Yusuf on criminal charges that were transferred from Peter Affen of the FCT high court.

Ahmed Raji, counsel to Dasuki, applied to the court to reaffirm the bail granted to the ex-NSA even though he has not “been allowed to enjoy” same since December 2015.

Raji argued that it was wrong of Rotimi Jacobs, prosecuting counsel, to have objected to the reaffirmation of the bail condition on Dasuki.

He added that Dasuki had in his possession, a judgment of the ECOWAS court which in 2016 set aside the unlawful detention of the ex-NSA.

April 2017

In the same year, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, the presiding judge of FCT High Court on April 5, 2017, reaffirmed the 2015 bail granted Dasuki after hearing the ex-NSA’s appeal of the amended seven-count charge against him.

Mohammed said since the prosecution counsel, Oladipo Opeseyi, did not object to Dasuki’s appeal, the court had to affirm same.

May 2018

Yusuf, on May 18, 2018, further reaffirmed the bail he granted Dasuki in 2015.

Dasuki was arraigned on 32 counts amended charges along with Aminu Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital.

Adeola Adedekpe, counsel to Dasuki, pleaded with the court to grant the defendants bail in liberal terms in view of the fact that they have been attending their trial since 2015.

Yusuf ruled that they continue to enjoy the bail he granted them in 2015 when they were first arraigned before his court.

July 2018

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, the presiding judge, on July 2, described Dasuki’s continuous detention as an aberration to the rule of law.

Ojukwu subsequently granted Dasuki a N200 million and two sureties in like sum.

July 2019

A court of higher jurisdiction has granted Dasuki bail.  The Court of Appeal also ordered the federal government to pay the ex-NSA N5 million as damages for holding him against the provisions of section 35 (6) of the constitution which gives every Nigerian the right to free movement.

In the latest ruling, a lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, who had filed the application was quoted by Premium Times as saying,  “the previous bail of N100 million cash was paid but the government did not release Dasuki.

The World is watching whether the latest ruling for the release of Col. Dasuki would be obeyed. And political observers say President Muhammadu Buhari has a huge role to play in making sure that court orders are obeyed.