Dasuki is being tried with a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, and a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, the ex-governor’s son, Sagir Attahiru, and a firm, Dalhatu Investment on a 22-count in which they were accused of looting about N13billion public funds.
When the case was called Tuesday, the other defendants in the case were in court, except Dasuki. The judge also noted that other parties in the case were yet to respond to a fresh application by Dasuki, seeking to stop further proceedings in the case.
Dasuki was later brought in by men of the DSS while the judge, Justice Peter Affen was in the process of adjourning the case.
The judge proceeded to adjourn to February 9 to enable parties respond to Dasuki’s application.
In his application, Dasuki wants the court to prohibit the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from prosecuting him on the ground that the EFCC could not continue with his trial have failed to earlier orders of the court made on December 21 last year, admitting him to bail.
He filed a similar application in another charge pending against him and others before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the same FCT High Court.
“An order prohibiting the complainant (prosecution) from further prosecuting the instant charge or any order charge against the second defendant (Dasuki), or seeking any form of indulgence before this honourable court in Nigeria, except and unless it complies with the order of this court made on December 21, 2015, the said order which remains valid for all intents and purposes, having not been set aside by any appellate court.
“An order discharging the second defendant/applicant of all the offences contained in the instant charge, the said charge which cannot be lawfully prosecuted by the complainant who is in brazen disobedience of a subsisting order of this honourable court made on December 21, 2015.”
He also sought as alternative prayers, “A mandatory order directing the complainant who acts through the Department of State Services/EFCC and other enforcement agencies, to immediately produce the second defendant in court, by which this honourable court may give directives as it considers appropriate, for the administration of justice in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
“An order staying further proceedings in this charge until the second defendant/applicant exhausts the remedies available to him him law for the enforcement of his right to liberty, the said right which had already been preserved by the order December 21, 2015.”
THE NATION