May 22, 2018

An operative of the Department of State Service (DSS) Mr. William Obiora has told the Federal High Court in Abuja that all vehicles belonging to former National Security adviser NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki and recovered in the house during the search operation have been kept at the Headquarters of the DSS in Abuja since 2015.

The security operative who testified in the alleged unlawful possession of firearms brought against Dasuki by the Federal Government also told the court that the money found in the house of Ex-NSA were also deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) since 2015 for safekeeping.

Led in evidence by the Federal Government Counsel, Chief Oladipo Opeseyi (SAN), the witness testified how they arrived at the Abuja Residence of Dasuki on July 16, 2015 and met armed soldiers guarding the house who resisted DSS operatives’ attempt to access the house and the ex-NSA for search operation.

Obiora informed Justice Ahmed Mohammed that it took 24 hours before the armed soldiers were pacified and stepped down on the order from above before they allowed the DSS to access the ex-NSA and the house to carry out the search operation.

The DSS operative informed the court that the Army authority despatched a truck to Dasuki’s house to evacuate the soldiers and move them to the Army Headquarters before the operation could be effectively carried out.

During his evidence, Obiora testified that several vehicles, guns and some money were recovered in the house of Sambo Dasuki adding that while the vehicle were moved to the DSS headquarters premises since 2015, the money in local and foreign currencies were deposited with the CBN.

Earlier, confusion had erupted when the witness could  not properly identified some of the exhibits brought before the court for identification purposes.

The court was forced to stand the trial down for almost one hour for the prosecution counsel, Chief Oladipo Opesyi and the witness to put their house in order.

After his evidence, counsel to Dasuki, Mr. Joseph Daudu SAN applied for an adjournment to enable him cross-exam the witness in respect of his evidence.
Daudu hinged his request on the ground that the day had been fast spent before the witness concluded his evidence and that the court had several other cases to attend to.

The adjournment application was not opposed by the prosecution, prompting Justice Ahmed Mohammed to adjourn the matter to June 25, 2018 for cross examination of the witness