Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of an
FCT High Court in Maitama on Tuesday, issued a production warrant to the
Director General, Department of State Service (DSS) to produce Col. Sambo
Dasuki (rtd) in court to face his trial on May 24.
Dasuki, a former National
Security Adviser to ex-president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan was arraigned by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC ) since 2015, NAN reports.
On trial with him are Aminu
Baba-Kusa, a former NNPC Executive Director, and two firms- Acacia Holdings and
Reliance Referral Hospital.
They are arraigned on 32 counts
of criminal breach of trust, misappropriation and dishonest release and
receiving of various sums of money to the tune of N33.3 billion.
The judge, Baba-Yusuf ordered for
a production warrant to be issued on the Director General of DSS to produce
Dasuki in court for his trial at the next adjourned date.
Production warrant is issued when
a defendant is in the custody of the state as is in Dasuki ‘s case.
The judge also ordered the
prosecution to liaise with the DSS to produce the defendant whenever his matter
comes up.
‘Hence, I will issue a production
warrant to the DG, DSS to produce the defendant for his trial on the next
adjourned date.
He then adjourned until May 24
for trial.
Earlier, the prosecuting counsel,
Mr Oluwaleke Atolegbe had expressed surprises when he found out that Dasuki was
not in court.
Atolegbe told the court that it
was the duty of the DSS to produce the defendant who was in their custody.
Dasuki ‘s counsel, Mr Victor
Okwudiri told the court that it was the duty of the prosecution to produce the
defendant in court and it is their duty also to explain his absence.
Counsel for the 2nd defendant, Mr
Solomon Umoh, SAN told the court that it was now a common knowledge that the
defendant was in the custody of the state.
He said much as the ACJA allows
for trial in absentia, this is an occasion where the law did not contemplate,
“My Lord can use his inherent power in two ways”
“One issuance of production
warrant and secondly, issuance of bench warrant” the prosecution should find a
way of producing the defendant in court,” he said.
Counsel for the third and fourth,
Mr A Rilman and A. Ayodele aligned with the learned silk.
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