Tag Archives: Bafarawa

EFCC rearraigns Dasuki, five others for diversion of funds.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday re-arraigned, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser (NSA) and five others, for alleged diversion, and criminal breach of trust at an FCT High Court.

The others were Bashir Yuguda, Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the NSA, Dalhatu Investment Ltd., Sagir Attahiru and Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto State.

They were re-arraigned on a 22-count charge before Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, and they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Baba-Yusuf ordered that the existing bail condition is maintained after listening to submissions of all counsel to the defendants and the prosecuting counsel.

The Prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), opposed the upholding of Dasuki’s bail, saying that he was still being held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since he was granted bail earlier.

Jacobs also applied for a date to open his case against the defendants since they pleaded not guilty to the charges.
This, he said, was in accordance with Section 396 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which provides for day-to-day trial.

Dasuki’s counsel, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN), objected, saying that the EFCC brought his client to court and not DSS.
He also said that ECOWAS court had earlier given a valid judgment on the issue and objected to the suggestion of Rotimi.
He argued that the day-to-day trial was when the case fully commences.

The counsel for other defendants aligned with Dr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Counsel to Bafaarawa, saying that Section 396 of ACJA should not be put above the provisions of in Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Fagbemi said that the section provides for fair hearing and so it would not be right for the defendants to be arraigned today and trial to commence tomorrow.

Baba-Yusuf adjourned till Feb. 24 for the commencement of trial.

Dasuki and others were earlier arraigned on a 22-count charge bordering on diversion, conspiracy, bribery, abuse of office and criminal breach of trust of about N19.4 billion before Justice Peter Affen in December 2015.
The defendants were also granted bail by Affen in the sum of N250 million each with two sureties each in the like sum.

Affen said that one of the sureties must be a retired or serving civil servant in Federal Government’s employment, reside within the court’s jurisdiction and own landed property in Abuja.

The case was consolidated and transferred to Baba-Yusuf’s court following an application by Chief Joseph Daudu, counsel to Dasuki.

 

Source: Guardian

It Is Risky To Grant Yuguda, Bafarawa, Dasuki Bail – EFCC Counsel Tells Court

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Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) counsel to the EFCC, told an FCT High Court on Wednesday that considering the gravity of the charges against Yuguda, Dasuki, Salisu and other defendants, it was risky to grant them bail.

 

Yuguda, former Minister of state for Finance is standing trial alongside Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) former National Security Adviser (NSA) and Shuaibu Salisu, former Director of Finance in the office of the NSA.

 

Also named as defendants in the case were former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, his son Sagir Attahiru and their company Dalhatu Investment Limited.

 

They were arraigned by the EFCC on a 22-count charge of alleged criminal breach of trust and diversion of public funds amounting to N19.5 billion.

 

At the resumed hearing of the bail application filed by the defendant lawyers, Jacobs, told the court that going by nature of the charges against them and the proof of evidence, it would be risky to grant them bail.

 

“If they were granted bail, they may not be available to stand trial because the count in the charge attracts 10 years in prison.

 

“The tendency for the accused to jump bail is high,” he said.

 

Jacobs argued that at the time the defendants answered EFCC`s invitation, they were not aware of the gravity of the offences against them.

 

“My lord, granting them bail will send a wrong signal to the public; it is even a risk to release them because many soldiers had died.

 

“Their families feel the pains as a result of the actions of the accused persons because N19.5 billion that was meant to buy arms for soldiers to fight insurgency was diverted, ‘’ he added.

 

Jacobs prayed the court to reject all the submissions canvassed by the defence lawyers as they were not fit enough to stand as cogent reason to warrant bail.

 

He therefore urged the court to refuse the bail application in the interest of justice.

 

In his argument, counsel to Yuguda, Mr Peter Akpe (SAN), said that the offences which his client was standing trial for were bailable.

 

He said that his client was granted administrative bail by the EFCC and he did not jump bail.

 

He therefore urged the court to grant his client bail on most liberal terms.

 

In his submission, counsel to Dasuki, Mr Ahmed Raji (SAN), said it was discretionary power of a judge to grant bail either on self recognition or in the most liberal terms.

 

He said that the fact that the prosecution had further investigation to carry out should not deny his client bail.

 

He therefore urged the court to grant Dasuki bail in self recognition as it was the case in the Federal High Court, Abuja where he was granted bail on self recognition.

 

On their part, counsel to Bafarawa, his son Sagir and their company Dalhatu Investment Ltd and Salisu unanimously urged the court to admit their clients bail on liberal terms.

 

 

 

(NAN)

Monies Collected From Dasuki By Dokpesi, Bafarawa, Others, Not For Arms Purchase– Agency

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PRNigeria, an agency which distributes press statements for organisations and individuals in Nigeria, has said that contrary to public perception, not all funds disbursed from the office of the National Securty Adviser, ONSA are meant for arms procurement.

The firm in a statement Thursday denied that former NSA, Sambo Dasuki implicated some past governors and officials of the Peoples Democratic Party.

It also said “not all funds in Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) are related to arm procurement as being alleged.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, is presently investigating how over $2.2 billion meant for the procurement of arms and ammunition for Nigerian armed forces were allegedly diverted for political and other purposes.

The investigation is the outcome of a presidential investigation committee, which has now indicted a lot of officials within and outside the ONSA.

President Muhammadu had on receipt of the interim report of the committee directed that all those indicted in the report be arrested.

EFCC so far have in detention the former NSA, Dasuki, and former Minister of state for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, owner of AIT/Raypower, Raymond Dokpesi as well as a former governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa.

Others in detention include the son of Mr. Bafarawa, Sagir Bafarawa, and that of a former Minister of Defence, Bello Mohammed, Abba Mohammed.

Credit: PremiumTimes

‘The N4.6billion I Received From Dasuki Was For Spiritual Purpose’ – Ex-Sokoto Governor, Bafarawa

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The alleged diversion of $2.2 billion meant for arms purchase by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan continue to generate more revelations as former Sokoto State Governor Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa denied receiving any money from the embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA) retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki.

Controversy has led to arrest of Dasuki and some prominent Nigerians by the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A statement in Abuja yesterday by one of his aides, a former Special Adviser on Youths and Students Matters during his term as Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Akibu Dalhatu said Bafarawa has no deal
with the former NSA nor collected any money from him for any purpose.
Besides, Dalhatu lamented what he called deliberate media campaign aimed at tarnishing the image of the former governor saying it appears that the media was being used to play out a script that has been written long before now.

“The truth is that Governor Bafarawa went to the EFCC to honour an invitation made to him by the agency while he was abroad. He had informed them through a letter by his lawyers that he was abroad and would honour their invitation on return. Governor Bafarawa went to the office of EFCC with his lawyer and an aide,” he added.

However, Bafarawa had stated that he received N4.6 billion from Dasuki for “spiritual purposes.”

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also added its voice to the matter calling for stringent punishment for those found guilty.
NLC president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba told journalists yesterday in Abuja that capital punishment for offenders cannot be ruled out to stem the tide of corruption bedeviling the country.

Wabba noted that the mind-boggling revelation by the erstwhile Director of Finance to Dasuki, Shuaibu Salisu, should be commended and should be well protected as a whistle-blower.

Source: DailyTrust

Why EFCC Arrested Yuguda, Bafarawa, Ex-PDP Chairman’s Sons, Others Over $2billion Arms Deal

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Former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at about 4pm Monday and was still being questioned as at 9PM alongside other suspects over the controversial arms procurement scandal surrounding former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki

Sources familiar with the ongoing investigation said the former minister allegedly received suspicious payments from the office of Mr. Dasuki, who is being investigated over a $2billion arms deal.

Mr. Yuguda allegedly received N1.5billion from the former NSA’s office through an unnamed company, for unstated purpose.

He also alleged received N1.275billion from Stallion Group during the campaign for the last general election.

Another N775million was also allegedly paid to him from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation for unstated purpose.

All the monies were paid to him between Dec 2014 and May, 2015, our sources said.

Also in custody over the same matter are the sons of Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto State and Haliru Bello Mohamed, former minister of defence and ex-national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Sagir Bafarawa, allegedly acting as front for his father, received N4.6billion from the NSA’s office.

Attahiru Bafarawa had recently escaped arrest but the EFCC says the former governor remains on its radar.

The ex-PDP chairman’s son, Abbah Mohammed, on his part got N600milion in the name of Bam Properties Limited.

Also in the custody of the anti-graft agency is Shuaibu Salisu, a former director of finance and administration in the former NSA’s office.

Mr. Salisu, a staff of the National Intelligence Agency, was a joint signatory with Mr. Dasuki to the NSA’s office account and EFCC operatives are accusing him of “supervising some dubious payments”.

Credit: PremiumTimes