Sambo Dasuki, former
national security adviser (NSA), on Monday, pleaded not guilty to the 19-count
charge of criminal breach of trust to the tune of ₦13.6 billion.
Dasuki,
who was arraigned alongside Salisu Shuaibu, a director of finance in the office
of the NSA, and one Aminu Baba-Kusa, stood in the accused box for at least 30
minutes while the charges were being read to him.
TheCable report continues:
The
former NSA was brought into the courtroom of Hussein Baba Yusuf, justice of the
federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Abuja, by men of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) a few minutes past 10am.
Dasuki
appeared unfazed and calm as the charges were to him.
“I’m
not guilty my lord,” he responded to all the charges preferred against him by
the EFCC.
Count one of the charges
read: “That you Col Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (RTD) whilst being the national
security adviser and Shuaibu Salisu whilst being director of finance and
administration in the office of the national security adviser and Hon
Waripamowei Dudafa (now at a large) whilst being senior special assistant,
domestic affairs to the president on or about 27th November, 2014 in Abuja,
within the jurisdiction of this honourable court entrusted with dominion over
certain properties, to wit: The sum of ₦10bn being part of funds in
the account of the national security adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN), the equivalent of which sum you received from the CBN in foreign
currencies to wit: US$47, 000, 000 and €5.6 million, committed criminal breach
of trust in respect of the said property when you claimed to have distributed
same to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary election
delegates and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 315 of
the penal code Act Cap 532, Vol 4, LFN 2004.”
Media
reports that Court papers containing charges against a former National Security
Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and some of his former lieutenants, have provided
further details of how Mr. Dasuki allegedly distributed billions of naira meant
for arms purchase for the fight against the insurgent Boko Haram group, to
politicians, his cronies and family members.
Mr.
Dasuki was on Monday arraigned before an Abuja High Court on a 19-count charge
of money laundering and breach of public trust.
Those
charged alongside Mr. Dasuki were a former director of finance at the office of
the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, as well as an aide to former President Goodluck
Jonathan, Waripamowei Dudafa.
A
former general manager at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC,
Aminu BabaKusa, and two firms, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral
Hospital Abuja, were also charged.
The
first charge accused Messrs. Dasuki, Salisu and Dudafa (said to be at large)
of withdrawing ₦10 billion in foreign currency equivalent from the account of
the NSA with the CBN on November 27, 2014.
The
charge says Mr. Dasuki claimed to have distributed the money to PDP
presidential primary election delegates – an act the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission said was punishable under section 315 of the penal code Act,
Cap 532, Vol. 4 laws of the federation 2004.
Another
count says Messrs. Dasuki and Salisu withdrew ₦2.120 billion from the
NSA account with CBN, between January 22 and March 19 and paid same to the
account of Daar Investment and Holding Company Limited controlled by Raymond
Dokpesi, for the funding of the media activities for the 2015 presidential
election campaign of the PDP.
Messrs.
Dasuki and Salisu were also accused of criminal breach of trust by withdrawing ₦90
Million from the NSA’s account with Diamond Bank Plc and remitting the said
amount into the account of “Brains and Hammers Limited for the purchase of
7-bedroom duplex house at No. 11 Mansur Bamalli Drive (D1064), Apo 1, Abuja in
the name of Abubakar Atiku Dasuki, the son of Mr. Dasuki”.
Messrs.
Dasuki and Salisu also on 28 January reportedly withdrew ₦170
million from another NSA account with Skye Bank Plc and paid the money into the
account of Urban Abode Nigeria Limited for the purchase of a four-bedroom
duplex at plot 2562/2643, Platinum Villa (PV) Asokoro Abuja in the name of AVM
M. N. Umaru.
The
Nigerian government is also accusing Messrs. Dasuki and Salisu of illegally
transferring ₦1.5 billion of Nigerian money held at Zenith Bank between
October 9, 2014 and April 17 2015, to Acacia Holdings limited “controlled by
one Aminu Babakusa purporting same to be payment for organizing prayers”.
The
duo were also said to have on April 17, 2015 transferred ₦750
Million from the NSA account with Zenith bank to the account of Reliance
Reference Hospital also controlled by Mr. Babakusa for organizing prayers.
In
a separate charge, Acacia Holdings and its owner, Mr. Babakusa, were accused of
collecting ₦1.45 billion from the account of the NSA with Zenith Bank,
into their accounts with UBA and Ecobank, between October 9, 2014 and April 17,
2015, from Messr. Dasuki and Salisu for organizing prayers, knowing that the
money “directly represented proceeds of criminal conducts and knowing same to
be stolen property”.
Mr.
Babakusa and Reliance Hospital were also accused of collecting ₦750
million from Mr. Dasuki on April 17, 2015 “which sum belonged to the Federal
Government of Nigeria and knowing the said sum to be stolen property but
purporting same to be payment for organizing prayers and you thereby committed
an offence punishable under section 317 of the penal code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4
laws of the federation 2004”.
The
government also said that on April 9, 2015, Messrs. Dasuki and Salisu
transferred ₦380 million in the account of the NSA with CBN to the account
of Belsha Nigeria Limited for “consultancy services”.
Messrs.
Dasuki and Salisu were also accused of transferring, on 12th August 2014 and
23rd March, 2015, from the NSA account with CBN, the sum of ₦670
Million to the account of General hydrocarbons Limited with Guarantee Trust
Bank, GTB, controlled by Nduka Obaigbena as payment for “energy consulting”.
Mr.
Obaigbena is the publisher of THISDAY newspaper.
The
two former government officials are also accused of transferring ₦260
million from the NSA account with Skye Bank to the account of a former chairman
of the Board of Trustee of the PDP, Tony Anenih, with First Bank of Nigeria
Plc.
Messrs.
Dasuki and Salisu are also accused of criminal breach of trust when they
allegedly transferred ₦345 million from the CBN account of the NSA to the account of
Starbrid Limited with Stanbic IBTC Bank and GTB controlled by Emmanuel Lawani
on behalf of Iyorchia Ayu, for the construction of a shopping mall at Jabi,
Abuja, “purporting same to be payment for satellite charges and security
equipment” thereby committing an offence punishable under section 315 of the
penal code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4 laws of the federation 2004.
In
all, the EFCC said it was accusing Messrs. Dasuki and Salisu of conspiring to
do an illegal act through criminal breach of trust by public officers between
October 2014 and April 2015 by distributing ₦13.570 billion belonging
to the Federal Government to politicians and cronies.
The
EFCC said the offense committed by the duo is punishable under section 97 of
the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol, 4 LFN 2004.
The anti-graft agency also
said by “dishonestly receiving stolen property” belonging to the Nigerian
government, totalling ₦2.2 billion, Acacia
Holdings Limited, Reliance Reference Hospital and Aminu Babakusa have committed
an offence punishable under section 97 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol, 4
LFN 2004.
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