Bafarawa, Son Lose Bid To Separate Trial from Dasuki

BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday struck out an application by a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, his son, Sagir Attahiru and their family company, Dalhatu Investment Limited, seeking to separate their trial from that of the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), in the criminal charge of diverting $2.1bn meant for the purchase of arms to fight Boko Haram terrorists.

The applicants had complained that the “continuous unnecessary delay” of their trial along with Dasuki is negatively affecting their family business and detrimental to their advantage.

Bafarawa’s counsel, Kayode Olatoke (SAN) told the court that, the former governor and his son want be separately tried stressing that if the applicants’ trial is separated from that of Dasuki’s, it would guarantee their constitutional rights to a speedy trial within reasonable time in line with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

In a 15 paragraph affidavit in support of the motion, the three applicants claimed that “since the trial began in 2015, no reasonable progress had been made because the other parties had brought different motion to the court to challenge jurisdiction and to have the charges quashed”.

But, counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that “Bafarawa, his son and their family company, Dalhatu Investment Limited, were properly joined with Dasuki, Bashiru Yuguda and Shuaibu Salisu for their joint roles in the diversion of $2.1billion arms funds”

Jacobs informed the court that Dalhatu investment owned by Bafarawa and his son was the receiver of the alleged stolen fund into its UBA account, stressing that once their charges with Dasuki are separated, it would be practically and legally impossible to prove the case of conspiracy.

He further argued that separation of the trial as canvassed by the applicants would further delay the speedy trial of the joint charge stressing that the prosecution was fully prepared to prove the case against the defendants within a reasonable time.

Similarly, Dasuki, who was represented in court by Adeola Adedipe, argued that Bafarawa and his son cannot be tried outside him without fundamental amendment to the present charge against them, adding that the offence of conspiracy cannot be tried separately.

Justice Baba-Yusuf after taking arguments from counsel dismissed the application for lack of merit and adjourned the suit to December 6 – 7, 2017 for hearing.