A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday fixed November 23, 2015 for briefing by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, on the continued occupation of the Abuja home of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Dasuki Sambo (retd.), by the operatives of the Department of State Services.
Dasuki, through his counsel, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN), and Ahmed Raji (SAN), had filed an application, urging the court to order the removal of the barricade erected by the DSS operatives at his Abuja home.
The lawyers alleged that the DSS operatives had, by their continued occupation of Dasuki’s home, flouted the court’s order made on November 3, 2015, which had permitted their client to embark on a foreign trip for three weeks.
The application by the ex-NSA was scheduled for hearing on Friday but rather than conducting the hearing, Justice Adeniyi Ademola said he needed to hear from the AGF or his representative first.
The judge then fixed next Monday for the new AGF or his representative to appear before the court.
The Federal Government is already prosecuting Dasuki on four counts of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms, but it has indicated that the former NSA is being investigated for fresh charges.
But on Monday, the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Taiwo Abidogun, who was sworn in along with others as federal permanent secretaries on November 12, which was a day after Malami and other 35 ministers were inaugurated, asked for an adjournment of the case to enable him to receive briefing on the case.
“I have just assumed this position and my Lord, as I speak, I have not received briefing about the activities of the ministry. With respect, the Attorney-General of the Federation and I were just sworn in. So, I have come to ask for an adjournment,” Abidogun said.
The Solicitor-General said the AGF, like other ministers, would assume duties on Wednesday.
Daudu conceded to an adjournment of the case even as he also sought that the court should order the removal of the DSS barricade from his client’s home.
The judge did not make any pronouncement on it but only acceded to an adjournment of the case till Monday for a definite hearing of Dasuki’s application.
In the application, Dasuki alleged that he had been prevented from travelling abroad to attend to his ailing health in line with the November 3 order of Justice Ademola for the release of his travelling documents.
He is therefore seeking the removal of “all human and non-human barricades, bulwarks and or siege laid around, about and across” his residence at 13, John Kadiya Street, Asokoro District, Abuja.
But the Federal Government, in its counter-affidavit to Dasuki’s application, said the DSS stopped the ex-NSA from travelling due to his failure to honour an invitation for questioning over fresh money laundering allegations against him.
By the November 3 order of Justice Ademola, Dasuki is expected to have returned to the country before the next hearing date of his trial on November 26.
The judge had fixed ruling on the prosecution’s application for the protection of its witnesses for the same date.
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