Dasuki’s Trial Begins Tuesday

The Federal Government will on Tuesday arraign former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), before a Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly being in possession of firearms without license.

The Department of State Security Service, DSS, had, in a statement by one of its officials, Tony Opuiyo, on August 24, 2015, said that it had charged Dasuki with the alleged offence.
Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, had on Friday assigned the case to Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who is the court’s vacation judge.

The DSS said it had charged Dasuki with possession of firearms without licence, an offence punishable under section 27(I)(a)(I) of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, based on evidence so far obtained.
The Federal Ministry of Justice had since taken over the case.
It was learnt that the trial which ought to have started last week was postponed due to the directive of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmmud Mohammed, to various heads of court not to sit throughout the week to enable lawyers and interested judges to participate in the just-concluded one week-long Annual Bar Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association.
The DSS had searched Dssuki’s home and claimed that it searched it “based on credible intelligence linking the immediate past NSA with alleged plans to commit treasonable felony against the Nigerian state.”
The statement partly read:

“You may recall that on July 16, 2015, the Department of State Services carried out search operations on properties belonging to the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd.), in Abuja and Sokoto.

“This action was necessitated by credible intelligence, which linked him to acts capable of undermining national security. The search operations led to the recovery of large cache of arms and ammunition among other things and for which further investigation was conducted.

“Consequently, on Monday, August 24, 2015, he was charged to court based on evidence so far obtained, but which relates to possession of firearms without licence punishable under section 27(i)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act Cap F28 LFN 2004.”

The secret service said Dasuki’s arraignment was in line with democratic practice and “our avowed commitment to the rule of law, in which nobody is deemed to be above the law, no matter how highly placed in the society.”
 Punch

“I Never Maltreated President Buhari After The 1985 Coup” – Sambo Dasuki

Says he knelt to beg Akande for Buhari as ACN/CPC flagbearer in 2011

Immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), has sworn that he never maltreated nor took part in maltreating President Muhammadu Buhari when he, as military Head of State, was removed in a 1985 coup, as being erroneously alleged.

He said: “I always respect and dignify my seniors and those in positions of authority whether in service or after. Though a young officer, I was reluctant to be among those that arrested him. And I was not.

“I only met him afterward at Bonny Camp with Lawal Rafindadi. There is no way I could have maltreated him as being alleged in some quarters. I am glad most of the actors are still alive.”

The former NSA made the disclosure even as he stated that he knelt down begging Baba Bisi Akande, who was then Chairman of Action Congress Nigeria, ACN, to accept then General Buhari because “General Buhari is a man to be trusted.”

Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.): Former  NSA

Dasuki, who spoke to blogger Yushua Shauib in Abuja, also disclosed how he and some others confronted late General Sani Abacha over June 12 election, which was won by late Chief Mashood Kashimawo Abiola.

He said: “This led to our premature retirement. The persecution that followed forced me into exile, where I teamed up with opposition elements struggling for the return of democracy.”

‘My campaign for him’ On his roles in politics, the former NSA, who had been having running battles with the Department of State Services, DSS, narrated how he supported the campaign aspiration of Muhammadu Buhari in 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections.

He said respected Northern elements like Adamu Adamu, Bashir Kurfi, Sule Hamman, Wada Maida and Kabir Yusuf are among individuals privy to his active involvement.

While revealing how he campaigned for Buhari to emerge the joint candidate of ACN and CPC in 2011, Dasuki disclosed how he pleaded with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the presence of Bisi Akande to accept Muhammad Buhari as the joint presidential candidate for ACN and CPC.

Dasuki said: “In the belief that Yoruba and south-westerners are never religious fanatics, especially regarding politics, me and my group suggested that Tinubu should be a running mate to Buhari.

“When other elements opposed that proposition, Tinubu team therefore recommended a Buhari-Osinbajo ticket. Unfortunately, the ticket failed to stick as Pastor Tunde Bakare was eventually pushed forward by other forces.”

Speaking further, the former NSA recalled how prior to the 1983 coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari, himself and two young military officers, who are still alive, travelled to Jos to brief Major General Buhari, who was then the GOC of 3rd Armoured Division, on the furtherance of the planning of the 1983 coup, which made Buhari the major beneficiary.

He said: “Buhari expressed his bitterness about insinuations on his stewardship in one of the public institutions, but I assured the then GOC not to worry about such reckless and mischievous insinuations.”

Asked why he participated in the ouster of Buhari less than two years afterward ousting Shagari, Dasuki simply answered that General Buhari should know who to blame.

– Source – www.vanguardngr.com

I Personally Begged Tinubu, Akande To Make Buhari Presidential Candidate – Dasuki

Immediate past National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), has revealed that he actively lobbied Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to allow President Muhammadu Buhari, be the presidential candidate of the ACN and CPC in the 2011 race.

Dasuki also insists that as opposed to what is being said in several quarters, he never maltreated nor took part in maltreating Buhari when he was removed as military Head of State in a 1985 coup.

The former NSA, who is on the radar of the Department of State Services, disclosed this to Yushua Shauib in Abuja.

Dasuki said: “I always respect and dignify my seniors and those in positions of authority whether in service or after. Though a young officer, I was reluctant to be among those that arrested him. And I was not.

“I only met him afterward at Bonny Camp with Lawal Rafindadi. There is no way I could have maltreated him as being alleged in some quarters. I am glad most of the actors are still alive.”

Speaking further, Dasuki said he knelt down to beg Bisi Akande, who was then Chairman of Action Congress Nigeria, ACN, to accept the President because “General Buhari is a man to be trusted.”

He said respected Northern elements like Adamu Adamu, Bashir Kurfi, Sule Hamman, Wada Maida and Kabir Yusuf, could testify to his active involvement in the past efforts by Buhari to be President.

He said: “In the belief that Yoruba and south-westerners are never religious fanatics, especially regarding politics, me and my group suggested that Tinubu should be a running mate to Buhari.

“When other elements opposed that proposition, Tinubu team therefore recommended a Buhari-Osinbajo ticket. Unfortunately, the ticket failed to stick as Pastor Tunde Bakare was eventually pushed forward by other forces.”

Source -ynaija.com

DSS Invasion Of My House Unlawful – Ex-Sultan

The father of the embattled former National Security Adviser, former Sultan Ibrahim Dasuki, has expressed shock at the invasion of his Sokoto home by operatives of the Department of State Services, saying the invasion was unlawful.

The senior Dasuki, who was the 18th Sultan of Sokoto until he was deposed by the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha, said this in an interview he granted the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation, on Monday.

The ex-monarch said that at 94 years of age, he was surprised that his residence could be invaded by security officials without being given the courtesy of being informed.

He explained that he had never been found wanting in all the places he had worked throughout his days as a youth.

Dasuki said, “I don’t know what they were looking for in my house. Even, I have not spoken with a member of my staff who they opened the house with. They entered into the ceiling of rooms belonging to women and no one said they found anything.

“They entered my portion of the house, there were two safes, they said they found an old Certificate of Occupancy of a house and that in one (of the safes), they found an empty envelop, that is what they said.”

Responding to a question over a container found within the compound, Dasuki said, “The container is on one side in the compound. Aliyu Dasuki (deceased) is my son, I am a younger brother to his father, and his wife is my daughter. When he died, his wife’s belongings mainly old furniture and mattresses are the things inside the container.

“They opened it. Like I told you before, even the member of my staff who was there, I have not been able to speak with him to know what exactly happened.

“All I have heard is hearsay and if he told me what happened, in the end, like I did before, I will leave everything to Allah.”

He also wondered why the security officials chose to invade his home in Sokoto when his son’s house is in Abuja.

“They did not go to Sambo Dasuki’s house, they went to my house. All my children have a right to my house. Sambo Dasuki is almost 60 years old, he is a man of his own. Can you hold a father responsible for the actions of his son?” he queried.

The senior Dasuki also explained that he was not averse to authorities questioning his son for his actions or inactions while in office.

He said, “He (Sambo) worked; they should ask him.”

The former sultan argued that even the constitution and the nation’s relevant laws stipulate that he should be informed before security officials entered his house.

It will be recalled that the DSS had in a statement on Sunday, explained that it carried out the search on the homes of the Dasukis following credible intelligence report that the former NSA was plotting to commit treasonable felony against the Nigerian state.

Spokesman for the security agency, Mr. Tony Opuiyo said the DSS had planned simultaneous searches on its two targets, but that the former NSA denied its officers entry into his main residence despite being presented with a genuine and duly signed search warrant.

The former NSA, he said, used the military guards at his home to prevent the DSS operatives from performing their legitimate duty, creating a potentially dangerous situation.

Meanwhile, some northern traditional and retired generals have intervened in the case involving the DSS and the former NSA.

Investigations on Monday showed that some traditional rulers from the North-West had prevailed on the former NSA not to drag the Federal Government to court over the invasion of his house in Abuja.

There were reports on Saturday that Dasuki would file a suit against the DSS on Tuesday (today) because of the invasion of his house.

The DSS had on Friday surrounded the ex-NSA’s house in Abuja and that of his father in Sokoto.

Dasuki was forced to stay indoors for about 24 hours and the DSS operatives were said to have seized his international passport.

The security agency had in a statement on Saturday night accused Dasuki of felony, misuse of power and being in possession of destructive weapons.

Former NSA Sambo Dasuki Arrested

Immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sabo Dasuki (rtd.), has been arrested and whisked to an unknown destination, a report from Abuja said.

He was arrested Last night, according to a report in the blog, Per Second News. “According to credible security source, the soldiers attached to the residence of the embattled NSA had been withdrawn on the orders of the president paving the way for his arrest yesterday evening,” the report said.

Soldiers had earlier been reported to have surrounded Dasuki’s residence. It is not yet clear why the Muhammadu Buhari administration moved against Dasuki but reports spoke about petitions against
him bordering on alleged financial impropriety.

Dasuki: President Buhari Never Ordered Dismantling Of Military Checkpoints

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari never ordered the dismantling of all military checkpoints in the country.

His statement overrides the statement made by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, Ismail Aliyu, who after a security meeting last month, announced that the president had ordered the dismantling of military roadblocks and directed the police to take over internal security.

Dasuki, who met top military and security chiefs in his office in Abuja yesterday clarified that the directive of the president was never a blanket order to remove all military checkpoints.

The NSA said military roadblocks in flashpoints would continue to be maintained while those in
relatively peaceful areas would be dismantled but soldiers would continue to be positioned in those areas while not blocking roads.

He said it was both conventional and the global practice for governments to increase security measures whenever insecurity is heightened and appealed to citizens to endure the temporary inconvenience the roadblocks may cause.

According to him, essential security checkpoints in vulnerable areas were a “necessary inconvenience” to ensure criminals and terrorists do not have easy passage.

He cited some arrests made recently including that of the mastermind of bomb attacks in some towns who were nabbed by Nigerian troops at such checkpoints.

While condemning the indiscriminate proliferation of security checkpoints by unauthorised bodies, he said: “We will continue to ensure that the necessary or essential security checkpoints are not avenues for extortion, indiscipline and other forms of corrupt practices that can exacerbate traffic flow and cause road accidents.”

He added that the government was deploying new sophisticated scanners and detectors in some areas to ease traffic and to identify movement of strange objects, concealed weapons and criminal suspects.

“With the effective use of technology, which minimises physical contact between security personnel and citizens, the time spent at designated security checkpoints will ultimately be reduced,” he said.

Dasuki added however that “whenever necessary, soldiers will mount their checkpoints to conduct security screening in emergency situations and for quick response”.

Despite the clarification on the reinstatement of military checkpoints in the country, an explosion was reported to have rocked the Kofare area of Yola, the Adamawa State capital yesterday, resulting in the injury of three persons.
Thursday’s, blast occurred barely one month after a another bombing rocked the city, killing many and injuring several others,
The blast happened close to a car repair workshop opposite the state headquarters of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) along Numan Road.

Eyewitnesses said four underage children were given the explosive to drop at a specific place in the Bachure suburb near the army barracks, which is mainly inhabited by retired military personnel.

Two of the young boys who were handed the explosive were arrested by the police and confessed that an unknown person had given them the device to drop at the targeted location. They were given N2,500 for the assignment.

The boys, aged between 9 and 15, further revealed that after collecting the container, it was too heavy for them to deliver to the suburb.
According to them, the boys were left with no option than to try to sell it to a garbage scavenger, who they ran into at the mechanic’s workshop nearby.

They claimed that the scavenger they approached refused to buy the container, saying that he does not buy anything under a certain weight.

It was while they boys were negotiating with the scavenger that the explosive in the container went off.
The said scavenger, who was injured by the blast and rushed to the hospital, is now said to be helping the police with their investigation.

The injured man explained that while he was negotiating with the boys, he noticed smoke billowing from the container, but before he could walk away, it went off shattering his legs and injuring two of boys who were carrying the explosive.

In the ensuing confusion following explosion, the other boys sneaked away from the scene of the blast.
The sound of the blast attracted the attention of officials of the FRSC to the scene.

The sector commander of FRSC, Mr. Luka Ikpi told journalists that when he heard the blast he ran out of his office to ascertain what had happened.

“One version suggested that it was a burst tyre since it was close to a mechanic’s workshop. But I insisted that my intelligence officers should go and confirm.

“On reaching there, it was discovered to be an explosive and the boys were arrested and brought here even before the arrival of anti-bomb squad from the state police command,” he stated.
When the anti-bomb squad and other security operatives arrived at the scene, many arrests were made, including those within the vicinity of the mechanic’s workshop.

All the suspects picked up in the area were taken to the state Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the police command in three Hilux trucks.

Meanwhile, in line with his commitment to slash government spending and entrench prudence in the system, the president was said to have rejected a proposal to purchase five new armoured Mercedes S-600 (V222) cars for his use at a cost of about N400 million.

The proposal for the purchase of the new cars was brought to Buhari’s attention by the Permanent Secretary in the State House, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi at a briefing on Wednesday.

Directing that the proposal to procure the cars be dropped, the president said there was no need for them since the ones he inherited from former President Goodluck Jonathan were good enough for him.

A presidency source said Buhari was said to have informed the permanent secretary, “I don’t need any new cars. The ones I’m using now are just fine.”

Buhari, however, welcomed other initiatives presented by Emodi to reduce the running cost of the State House and strengthen its finance and accounts and internal control mechanisms.

He advised the permanent secretary that greater effort must be made to capture all State House overheads within the approved federal budget to avoid the frequent recourse by past administrations to presidential intervention funds.

When contacted, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Mallam Garba Shehu confirmed that in keeping with his commitment to prudence in the management of national resources, Buhari will continue to use the cars left behind by his predecessor and has withheld approval for their replacement.

State House sources, who confided in THISDAY, said the proposal to procure the new cars was first presented to Jonathan before he left office.

But the former president directed that it be represented to Buhari for approval on his assumption of office since the cars would have been delivered some months after the May 29 handover date.

We Would Bring Back The Chibok Girls Before May 29 Handover Date – Presidency #BringBackOurGirls

The Nigerian presidency has assured that the over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok in Borno state 365 days ago will be rescued before the May 29 handover date. Speaking on the anniversary of the abduction of the girls, the National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki gave the assurance today that the Federal Government was making every effort to ensure that the girls along with every other Nigerian abducted by Boko Haram terrorists are rescued.
Dasuki also promised that Sambisa Forest, the fortress of Boko Haram terrorists and one of their last remaining camps will be stormed and liberated before the May 29, 2015 presidential hand-over date. “Right now, all Boko Haram camps except Sambisa Forest has been destroyed,” the NSA said.
According to him, the forest would have since been liberated but for the unfavourable weather condition prevailing in the area as every needed reconnaissance activity and necessary deployment of troops have since been concluded for the exercise.

Sambo Dasuki, DSS Biggest Threat To National Security – El-Rufai

Former Minister of the Fct Mallam Nasir El Rufai has called  NSA Sambo Dasuki & DG SSS Ita Ekpenyong as the biggest threats to our national security & integrity.

Although El-Rufai did not state categorically his reasons for alleging that the duo is the biggest threat to the national security but this may not be unconnected to the conduct of their offices in recent times.

“From all information available, NSA Sambo Dasuki and DG SSS Ita Ekpenyong are the biggest threats to our national security and integrity,” he wrote on his official Twitter account.

Col. Sambo Dasuki, National Security Adviser: first hinted that elections will be postponed in London

It would be recalled that Dasuki first hinted that Nigeria will postpone the general elections during during a question and answer session at a conference at the Chatham House international affairs think-tank in London.

“We said (to the Independent National Electoral Commission), look, there is a problem. We still have about 30 million… (voter) cards to distribute,” Dasuki, a retired army colonel said.

Similarly, the DSS has been heavily criticised by APC, Nigeria’s main opposition party in the build up the election.

During a raid on one of APC’s office, the DSS claimed it had uncovered lists containing names and photographs of security personnel, foreigners and minor/under-aged on the registered members list of APC.

APC has since challenged the DSS to make public the list, noting that, no one will take the DSS serious again, noting that, the findings of the DSS was a plot orchestrated in collusion with the PDP to distract the APC from its ongoing campaigns for the elections.

Source – PM News

No Delay Needed for Election Says INEC

The head of Nigeria’s electoral body on Friday maintained that elections set for next month will still take place, despite concerns about whether voter cards will be distributed in time.

Nigeria’s national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, told a conference in London on Thursday that the February 14 poll should be delayed to ensure that registered voters received their cards. But the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, said there had been no discussion on postponement.

Asked whether the presidential and parliamentary vote will still take place as planned, he told delegates at a meeting in Abuja: “I have said so. “I have said everything we are doing, including the challenges of the distribution of Permanent Voters Card, we believe is something we can address long before February 14. We issued (the) election timetable for February 14 almost a year ago? and we have been very busy working to implement that timetable to the letter.”

Read More: vanguardngr.com