In a dramatic turn in one of Nigeria’s most enduring high-profile cases, the Federal High Court in Abuja has given the Federal Government a firm September deadline to finally conclude the decade-long prosecution of former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Col. Sambo Dasuki.
Justice Peter Lifu, presiding over the matter, fixed September 24, 25, and 26, 2025, as decisive days for the prosecution to call all remaining witnesses, tender all exhibits, and close its case—bringing an end to a legal marathon that began in 2015.
Dasuki, who once held the nation’s most sensitive security portfolio, is standing trial on a seven-count amended charge bordering on alleged unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering. After years of adjournments, the court signalled it would no longer tolerate further delays.
At the latest hearing, prosecution witness Monsur Mohammed, an exhibits keeper with the Department of State Services (DSS), recounted in meticulous detail the items allegedly recovered from Dasuki’s residences in Abuja, Kaduna, and Sokoto during a sweeping operation following his arrest.
From Dasuki’s upscale Asokoro residence at 46, Nelson Mandela Street, Mohammed listed a trove of items:
Two Compact Discs of Freedom Radios on Jokolo
Two GT Bank chequebooks
Two Blackberry phones, a Nokia phone, and a flash drive
An Apple laptop, a statement of account, and a Visa card
An approval letter for a radio station under Afri-Media Integrated Ltd
One CD on the arrest and execution of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf
$500 in cash and 533 Saudi Riyals
HSBC account book and a chequebook of Habibson Ltd belonging to one Abubakar Ibrahim
The court admitted these as Exhibits MSD 015 to 034 without objection from Dasuki’s defence counsel, Ahmed Usman.
In Sabo Birni, Sokoto, DSS operatives reportedly uncovered $150,000 in cash, which Mohammed said was deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria. The prosecutor, Oladipupo Okpeseyi (SAN), hinted that the DSS would bring the physical cash to court for tendering as exhibits. Meanwhile, a search at Dasuki’s other Sokoto residence on Sultan Abubakar Road reportedly yielded nothing.
After presenting the evidence, the prosecution requested an adjournment to gather the final tranche of exhibits obtained from four search warrants executed on Dasuki’s properties. Justice Lifu granted the adjournment but issued a stern warning:
“The Federal Government must be ready to close its case at the next sitting so that the defence can finally open its case,” the judge ruled.
The adjournment marks what could be the final chapter in a legal saga that has lingered for 10 years, capturing national attention and symbolising the slow grind of Nigeria’s judicial process.
If the prosecution meets the September deadline, Dasuki—once at the centre of Nigeria’s military and intelligence apparatus—will have to mount his long-awaited defence against charges that have shadowed him for nearly a decade.
PIONEER NEWS 