Court Adjourns Dasuki’s Trial to Await Supreme Court’s Decision
BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – A Federal Capital Territory (FCT), High Court on Thursday adjourned the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki till March 22, 2018, to allow for the determination of an appeal he filed at the Supreme Court.
The trial judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf adjourned the matter following an application to that effect by Dasuki’s counsel, Mr Adeola Adedipe.
The trial was slated for today, but Adedipe in his application drew the attention of the judge to an appeal filed by Dasuki at the Supreme Court for which judgement has been slated for March 2, 2018.
Adedipe further submitted that it is in the interest of justice and fair play that the trial be put off until the Supreme Court determines the issues raised by Dasuki in his appeal.
The defence counsel to Dasuki also argued that the Supreme Court could be over-reached adding that it will be against the interest of justice if the appeal is jettisoned and the High Court proceed with the trial, stressing that such a trial can bring about a miscarriage of justice.
Counsels for the other parties in the matter aligned themselves with the application of the former NSA and prayed the court to adjourn the matter in the interest of justice so as not foist a state of hopelessness on the Supreme Court.
But, counsel to the Federal Government, Mr. Atolagbe Olohunleke opposed the application for an adjournment of the trial on the ground that events have overtaken it.
Olohunleke, who stood in for Mr Rotimi Jacob SAN, informed the court that such a motion had been moved in the past and was overruled by the court and therefore urged the court not to grant the application.
In his short ruling, Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf agreed with Counsel to Dasuki that it is better for the court to wait for the outcome of the appeal filed before the Supreme Court.
Justice Yusuf explained that the adjournment is in the interest of justice and fair hearing as prayed for by Dasuki and therefore adjourned further trial in the matter till March 22, 2018 to enable parties to await the outcome of the Supreme Court decision on the matter.
Dasuki in his application prayed the Supreme Court to suspend his trial in the alleged money-laundering charges brought against him by the Federal Government pending the time the government obeyed the bail orders granted in his favour by the court.
The former NSA in the appeal filed by his lead counsel, Joseph Daudu SAN said the Federal Government has no moral and legal right to proceed with his trial having disobeyed four court orders that administered him to bail but which were floated by the Federal Government.
