Dasuki's Trial on a Decade-Old Corruption Case: EFCC's Last Stand
Court Imposes Three-Day Deadline on EFCC to Finalize Dasuki's Trial
Time's running short for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as they face a looming deadline to wrap up a 10-year-old corruption case against former National Security Adviser Mohammed Sambo Dasuki. Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has given 'em 3 days - July 7th, 8th, and 9th - to finish their business.
The judge made this call during a fresh trial of the case that commenced in his court, leading to a lively debate between the EFCC and Dasuki's legal team over the validity of a subpoena issued to the Department of State Service (DSS) back in 2018. Dasuki's counsel raised concerns about the legality of the subpoena, claiming that the DSS doesn't qualify as a legal entity to which such documents could be served.
The EFCC, though, isn't backing down, insisting the DSS is a statutory creation and there's no room for confusion about its identity. They argued, "The document was duly served on Department of State Security. The DSS has no confusion about its identity."
Addressing the court, they went on, "The witness did not exhibit any confusion about his invitation to the court. The objection based on form ain't gonna halt the justice we seek. We kindly ask the court not to entertain such objection in the name of substantial justice."
Justice Lifu ultimately agreed with the EFCC, admitting the subpoena as an exhibit and promising to include his ruling on its validity in the final verdict. He called attention to the lengthy delay in resolving the case, which was initially filed in 2015, saying it's high time for a speedy resolution.
The first prosecution witness and DSS exhibit keeper, Monsur Mohammed, was allowed to testify via the subpoena and presented various items found in Dasuki's properties. These included locations like 13 John Khadije Street, Asokoro, Abuja; 46 Nelson Mandela Street, Asokoro, Abuja; Sabon Birnin Road, Sokoto; and Sultan Abubakar Road, also in Sokoto.
Search warrants executed at these properties in 2015 led to the recovery of undisclosed items. However, the DSS exhibit keeper admitted under oath that none of the items were incriminating.
Now, with the clock ticking, the EFCC has to close their case during the court sessions scheduled for July 7th, 8th, and 9th. If you're interested, head over to these other related articles:"
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- In the ongoing trial of Mohammed Sambo Dasuki's decade-old corruption case, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is facing a tight deadline to conclude their proceedings, with court sessions scheduled for July 7th, 8th, and 9th.
- During the trial, the EFCC insists that the Department of State Security (DSS) is a statutory creation, dismissing Dasuki's counsel's claims about the lack of legality in serving them documents.
- Recent political discourse in Nigeria (Naija) has been filled with general news and crime-and-justice reports, such as the ongoing EFCC case against former National Security Adviser, Dasuki, while President Buhari observes.
- The EFCC's case against various individuals continues to dominate the news headlines amid allegations of money-laundering, witch-hunts, and forex fraud, demonstrating the crucial role the commission plays in Abuja's politics and Nigeria's criminal justice system.
