Justice Charles Agbaza of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, adjourned the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), to October 31, 2025, to allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) update its list of witnesses and for continuation of trial.
Dasuki is facing prosecution by the EFCC on an amended 32-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to N33.2 billion.
He is being tried alongside a former General Manager of the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa, and two companies — Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
Count one reads: “That you COL. MOHAMMED SAMBO DASUKI (RTD.) whilst being the National Security Adviser, 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 N10, 000, 000, 000 (Ten Billion Naira) being part of the funds in the account of National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the equivalent of which sum you received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in foreign currencies to wit: $47,000,000 (Forty Seven Million Dollars) and 5.6 million Euros purporting same to be for special security service, committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly released the said amount for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential primary election and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Vol. 4, LFN 2004.”
They, however, pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.
Testifying before the court, an EFCC detective, Adariku Michael, stated that the anti-graft agency acted on intelligence report in September 2015 alleging large-scale movement of funds by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) between October 2014 and April 2015, adding that the case was assigned to a special task force led by ACE 1 Halimah Kazeem, and that investigation activities began with a letter to the CBN.
Counsel to Baba-Kusa, Solomon Umoh, SAN, objected to Micheal’s testimony, arguing that his name was not included on the EFCC’s original witness list. Responding, counsel to the EFCC, O. Atolagbe, explained that the witness had earlier testified before the chief judge and that the witness already tendered documents to the court.
Atolagbe further informed the court that the matter before the court has lasted for almost 10 years, prompting him to request for an adjournment to regularise the list of witnesses the Commission has which was not objected by the defence.
After hearing from both sides, the judge adjourned the matter to October 31, 2025, for continuation of trial.