An FCT High Court on Thursday adjourned until March 22, hearing in the trial of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan.
Standing trial along with Dasuki are: a former minister Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Shuaibu Salisu, a former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, his son, Sagir and their family company Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on a 22-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and fraudulent diversion of public fund to the tune of N19.4billion.
Justice Hussein Baba -Yusuf, adjourned the trial, after Dasukis counsel, Adeola Adedipe, drew the court’s attention to an application dated November 3, 2017 for an adjournment, pending the outcome of a Supreme Court judgment on March 2.
Baba-Yusuf said: “For the interest of Justice and fair hearing the matter is adjourned until March 22 for hearing.”
Earlier, Adedipe said the application is praying for the court to grant him an adjournment pending the outcome of Supreme Court judgment on March 2 in Dasuki’s case.
He said the outcome may have direct effect on the case in the high court.
Olajide Ayodele (SAN), counsel for the first defendant (Yuguda) and Dr. Kayode Olatoke for fourth and fifth (Bafarawa and son) submitted that in the interest of fair hearing and justice they are in support of the application.
Other counsel in the matter also aligned with their submissions.
Objecting, the prosecuting counsel, Oluwaleke Atolegbe, asked the court not to grant the application, adding “the application here is predicted on the appeal at Apex court”.
He, therefore, urged the court to discountenance the application and go ahead with the hearing adding that this application is tantamount to stay of proceeding.
At the last sitting, the prosecution had informed the court that he had just returned from the Supreme Court where an appeal filed by Dasuki on a decision of the court was heard and judgment reserved for March 2.
He also informed the court that Dasuki withdrew his application before the Supreme Court asking for the trial at the high court to be adjourned pending the hearing of his appeal at the Apex court, which was earlier fixed for January 24.
The withdrawal and striking out of the application, he added, was as a result of the Apex Court’s decision to hear the appeal after which it reserved judgment.
He stated that there was the need for the second defendant to also withdraw his application, dated November 3, pending before the high court.
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