Court rejects key evidence in Dasuki’s N33.2bn trial
The judge ruled that the statements “failed to comply with sections 15(4) and 17(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.” The post Court rejects key evidence in Dasuki’s N33.2bn trial appeared first on Premium…
Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser under ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has faced prosecution for nearly a decade over allegations that billions of naira meant for arms procurement to fight Boko Haram were instead diverted, with the N33.2 billion case being one strand of the broader "arms procurement fraud" scandal that also implicated several retired military officers and politicians. The case has moved slowly through Nigerian courts, marked by repeated adjournments, bail disputes and challenges over the admissibility of evidence gathered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during Dasuki's detention.
At the centre of this latest development is a ruling by Justice Charles Agbaza of the FCT High Court in Maitama, Abuja, rejecting seven extra-judicial statements the EFCC sought to tender as evidence, on the grounds that they did not meet procedural requirements under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which governs how confessional and witness statements must be recorded and verified to be admissible in Nigerian courts. Both outlets agree on the substance of the ruling and the legal provisions cited, though neither report details how the setback will affect the prosecution's broader case strategy or the trial's timeline going forward.