Dasuki Faces 19 New Charges Over Arms Deal

The Federal Government yesterday
filed 19 additional charges against
former National Security Adviser
(NSA), retired Col. Sambo Dasuki.
Dasuki, now under detention, is
being accused of extra-budgetary
spending to the tune of N643.8
billion and an additional $2.2 billion
in foreign currency component.
The money is said to be part of the
$2.1 billion meant for arms purchase
for the fight against Boko Haram
insurgency in the North-East.
The charges were filed at the FCT
High Court, Abuja and sources said
Dasuki is expected to be arraigned
today or Monday.
He will be arraigned with Salisu
Shuaibu, a former Director of
Finance in his office; Aminu Baba-
Kusa, a former Group Executive
Director of NNPC; Acacia Holdings
Ltd, and Reliance Referral Hospital
Ltd.
Former governor of Sokoto State
Attahiru Bafarawa, his son Attahiru
Sagir, former minister of national
planning Bashir Yuguda and Dalhatu
Investment Ltd are also charged
separately with 22 counts over
alleged diversion of over N10 billion
meant for arms.
However, details of the charges were
unavailable at press time.
A defence lawyer who pleaded
anonymity said he doubted if the ex-
NSA had been served, adding that
“Dasuki would have to be first served
the charges in person before he
would brief the lawyers.” ‘
Defence counsels, Joseph Daudu
(SAN) and Ahmed Raji (SAN) both
said they were aware of the fresh
charges but declined further
comment.
The case is slated for January 20th
for mention.
Meanwhile, the Chief Judge of the
FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello,
has ordered the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
to arraign Salisu Shuaibu without
further delay or in the alternative
release him on bail.
The judge’s order followed a
fundamental rights enforcement
application filed on Wednesday
before the court by Shuaibu’s
counsel Abdulhakeem Mustapha.
Mustapha told the court that his
client, who was arrested in
connection with EFCC inquiry into
the arms procurement, had been in
detention for 21 days.
Also, former Chairman, Presidential
Implementation Committee on
Maritime Security, retired Air Vice
Marshal Saliu Atawodi yesterday
denied any link with the $2.1 billion
arms purchase deal.
He said he had never worked under
Dasuki and as such had nothing to
do with the huge amount of money
said to have been allegedly
mismanaged.
Atawodi was reacting to the use of
his photograph in some national
dailies along with those already
indicted by the Presidential
Committee that probed the alleged
arms purchase deal.
Counsel to Atawodi, Wahab Olatoye,
who spoke with newsmen yesterday
said he should not be linked with
any negative issue he knew nothing
about while in and out of office.
Olatoye said it was mischievous,
embarrassing and unwarranted for
anybody or group to have dragged
his client into the alleged scandalous
arms deal, adding that he had served
the nation for years without any
blemish on his records.
His lawyer however admitted that a
“baseless and frivolous petition” was
written against his client in 2012
while he served as the chairman of
PICOMMS under the late NSA, Major
General Owoye Azazi and that the
petition after a thorough probe was
found worthless and thrown out by
the investigating body.
Olatoye insisted that his client was
never indicted by the EFCC, ICPC or
any other investigative panel and
wondered why the retired air
marshal could be linked to an issue
in which he had not in any way
participated or involved.
“It is true that Atawodi was
investigated based on a petition
written by one Rabiu Hassan,
Managing Director of Hypertech
Limited over the purchase of K-38
Patrol boats for the Nigerian Army
and it is equally true that at the end
of the probe, no shred of evidence
could be used to link or establish any
fraudulent activity against the
retired air chief.