Court adjourns to rule on Dauski’s motion

An FCT High Court Maitama on Thursday adjourned till March 16 for ruling on retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki’s motion seeking for the consolidation of his two cases.
The judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, adjourned after listening to the submissions from the counsel in the matter.
Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, was arraigned on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged diversion of N13.6 billion.
He is being tried alongside Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser; and Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; and two others in one case.
In the other charge, Dauski is the second defendant, while Ambassador Bashir Yuguda is the first defendant.
Others are Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser; Dalhatu Investment Limited; Sagir Attahiru; and Attahiru Bafarawa, former Governor of Sokoto State.
They were arraigned on a 22-count charge bordering on conspiracy, bribery, abuse of office and criminal breach of trust.
At the resumed sitting on Thursday, Dasuki’s lawyer, Ahmed Raji (SAN), prayed the court to consolidate the two cases now pending before Baba-Ysusf.
Raji said his prayer was brought pursuant to sections 6(6)(a), 35(5) and (9) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, and sections 1(1); 208; 396(3); 401and 492(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
He said when the cases were moved to one court, it was also ordered to be consolidated to one charge.
Responding, the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said the charges were not the same and that the cases were moved to one court to stand separately, but not to be consolidated.
Rotimi, therefore, urged the court not to grant the motion because it was a way to frustrate the trial.
He said that the provisions of sections 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 mandated day to day trial after arraignment and that this case started since 2015 and trial was yet to commence.