The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is putting pressure on the
State Security Service to hand over former National Security Adviser,
Sambo Dasuki, to it for interrogation over the ongoing investigation
into arms procurement contracts during the Goodluck Jonathan
administration.
Mr. Dasuki was arrested by the SSS on Tuesday after about a month-long siege on his residence in Abuja.
The agency thereafter took him to its headquarters where he has been in detention since then.
The senior lawyer heading the former NSA’s legal team, Joseph Daudu, on Tuesday told PREMIUM TIMES that he was aware the EFCC applied to Justice Adeniyi Ademola to revoke the bail his court granted Mr. Dasuki.
But a source at the EFCC told this newspaper that the anti-graft agency was working hard on getting the SSS to release Mr. Dasuki to it for questioning.
“We are working on that angle, whether he would be handed over today or not is what I cannot say with certainty for now,” the source said.
“He is central to the investigation we are doing, and we really want him here. He has loads of questions to answer.”
Another source at the commission said if the SSS insists on not releasing him, operatives of the EFCC might go to the SSS’ office to interrogate the former NSA.
An associate of Mr. Dasuki however told PREMIUM TIMES that the retired colonel is refusing to answer questions put to him by the SSS, insisting he would only speak in the presence of his lawyers or before a court of law.
“They have already indicted him without hearing from him,” said the associate, who asked not to be named for fear he might be victimised by the administration. “So what’s the use asking him questions now? He will only say things in the open.”
One of Mr. Dasuki’s lawyers, Ahmed Raji, told PREMIUM TIMES he was yet to be allowed to see the former NSA.
Mr. Raji however added that he was hopeful of seeing his client Wednesday evening.
“He is with the SSS and they said we would see our client later in the evening,” he said.
The EFCC already has in its custody a media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi; a former governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa; and a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda and others.
They were all arrested after being indicted by a presidential committee that investigated arms procurement during the last administration.
The committee said about $2.2 billion was diverted to purposes other than arms procurement.
President Buhari had after receiving the interim report of the committee directed all relevant security agencies to arrest all those indicted by the committee.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/194286-alleged-2-2billion-arms-deal-efcc-pressuring-sss-to-handover-sambo-dasuki-for-questioning.html
Mr. Dasuki was arrested by the SSS on Tuesday after about a month-long siege on his residence in Abuja.
The agency thereafter took him to its headquarters where he has been in detention since then.
The senior lawyer heading the former NSA’s legal team, Joseph Daudu, on Tuesday told PREMIUM TIMES that he was aware the EFCC applied to Justice Adeniyi Ademola to revoke the bail his court granted Mr. Dasuki.
But a source at the EFCC told this newspaper that the anti-graft agency was working hard on getting the SSS to release Mr. Dasuki to it for questioning.
“We are working on that angle, whether he would be handed over today or not is what I cannot say with certainty for now,” the source said.
“He is central to the investigation we are doing, and we really want him here. He has loads of questions to answer.”
Another source at the commission said if the SSS insists on not releasing him, operatives of the EFCC might go to the SSS’ office to interrogate the former NSA.
An associate of Mr. Dasuki however told PREMIUM TIMES that the retired colonel is refusing to answer questions put to him by the SSS, insisting he would only speak in the presence of his lawyers or before a court of law.
“They have already indicted him without hearing from him,” said the associate, who asked not to be named for fear he might be victimised by the administration. “So what’s the use asking him questions now? He will only say things in the open.”
One of Mr. Dasuki’s lawyers, Ahmed Raji, told PREMIUM TIMES he was yet to be allowed to see the former NSA.
Mr. Raji however added that he was hopeful of seeing his client Wednesday evening.
“He is with the SSS and they said we would see our client later in the evening,” he said.
The EFCC already has in its custody a media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi; a former governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa; and a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda and others.
They were all arrested after being indicted by a presidential committee that investigated arms procurement during the last administration.
The committee said about $2.2 billion was diverted to purposes other than arms procurement.
President Buhari had after receiving the interim report of the committee directed all relevant security agencies to arrest all those indicted by the committee.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/194286-alleged-2-2billion-arms-deal-efcc-pressuring-sss-to-handover-sambo-dasuki-for-questioning.html
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