Dasuki withdraws motion seeking case transfer

A former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, yesterday withdrew his motion seeking the transfer of his case before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf to another court.

Dasuki and four others are facing a 19-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N13.5bn before Justice BabaYusuf of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama, Abuja.

The others are; a former Director of Finance and Administration, Office of the National Security Adviser, Shuaibu Salisu; a former General Manager, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Babakusa and two firms-Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

At a sitting at noon yesterday after the court had earlier announced that it had embarked on vacation, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), informed the court that the case was adjourned to yesterday for the application filed by the first defendant.

Counsel to Dasuki, Adedayo Adedeji, holding brief for J. B. Daudu (SAN), told the court that Dasuki sought to withdraw the motion dated 11/06/2016 and filed on 13/06/2016 seeking transfer to another judge. With no objection received from other parties in the case, Justice Baba-Yusuf struck out the motion.

Adedeji also informed the court of another motion filed on June 31, 2016 seeking the consolidation of the charges before the court with another case before Justice Peter Affen of the same court. He pleaded with the court for a date to move the motion.

Counsel to the second defendant (Salisu), a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Akin Olujinmi (SAN) urged the court to give the date already agreed upon by the counsel, October 5 for the motion to be moved.

Justice Baba-Yusuf therefore adjourned the trial to October 5, 2016 for definite hearing on the motion for consolidation of charges.