5th October, 2016
An Abuja High Court on Wednesday adjourned retired Col. Sambo Dasuki’s case till Oct. 21 pending the outcome of the meeting of the counsel with the FCT Chief judge, Justice Ishaq Bello.
Dasukii, a former National Security Adviser (NSA) to former President Goodluck Jonathan, is standing trial with four others for alleged diversion of N13.6 billion
The others were; Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser; Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former NNPC Executive Director; Acacia Holding Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
The judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who adjourned the case after the prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), prayed the court to allow counsel in the matter to meet with the chief judge to approve for the files to be moved to Baba-Yusuf’s court.
At the last two sittings, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN), counsel to Dauski, had prayed the court to consolidate the cases against his client.
The cases were pending before Baba-Yusuf and Justice Peter Affen.
Daudu sought for an order directing the prosecution to amend charge No FCT/HC/CR/43/ 2015 pending before Baba-Yusuf, to include the counts in suit No FCT/HC/CR/43/2015, before Affen.
He said that his prayer was pursuant to sections 6(6)(a), 35(5) and (9) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, and sections 1(1), 208, 396(3), 401 and 492(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
At the resumed hearing, Jacobs had prayed the court to allow counsel in the matter to meet with Justice Bello to approve the movement of the files to Baba-Yusuf’s court.
He said that it would enable the matter to go on faster, instead of entertaining the application for consolidation which might need some time amendments and allow for waste of time.
Baba-Yusuf stood the matter down to enable the counsel consult after which they agreed to meet with the chief judge for his approval.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that at the last sitting on the sister matter before Justice Affen, Daudu had prayed the court to wait for the outcome of the one before Baba-Yusuf this Wednesday.
NAN reports also that Affen had adjourned till Oct. 21 for commencement of trial.
