A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and lawyer to embattled ex-National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), Mr. Ahmed Raji, has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to allow all accused persons, including his client, who have been granted bail by the courts to go and enjoy their bail.
Mr. Raji, who made the plea weekend while speaking to Daily Trust, acknowledged that he was ‘too small’ to join words with the president.
The lawyer’s plea came on the heels of a response to a question by President Buhari during his maiden media chat last week that the offences committed by the former NSA were too grievous to allow him walk free.
“On the isolated case of my client – Sambo Dasuki, I plead with the President to allow him to enjoy his bail. I am too small to join words with the president of the country, I will only plead that he allows him to go on bail”, he said.
Raji, who had secured and perfected the bail conditions for the former NSA in three different courts, said “in law, we have judicial review of administrative actions. We don’t have executive review of judicial decisions. That is why I would beg the president to allow all those that have been granted bail to go and enjoy it”.
Three separate courts last year granted Mr. Dasuki bail, who, alongside five others, is standing trial on a 22-count charge for alleged diversion of funds, misappropriation and breach of trust to the tune of N19.4 billion.
The charges were brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The former NSA and former Minister for State of Finance, Bashir Yuguda; former Sokoto Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; and three others were granted bail on December 21 by the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court in the sum of N250 million each and two sureties in like sum.
But even after fulfilling the conditions for his bail by Justice Peter Affen, the State Security Service, SSS, ignored the court order.
Rather than allow him go home, the service took custody of Mr. Dasuki.
