The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday affirmed the bail granted the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, in the charge of unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering brought against him by the Federal Government.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed affirmed the bail shortly after taking Mr. Dasuki’s plea in the amended seven-count charge.

The judge said that since the prosecution counsel, Oladipo Opeseyi, did not object to the bail of the ex-NSA, the court has to affirm same. He ordered the defendant to continue to enjoy the bail condition granted him in 2015 when he was first arraigned.

Despite being granted bail by various courts, Mr. Dasuki, a retired colonel, remains in the custody of the State Security Service.

Mr. Dasuki had in 2015 been admitted to bail by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, but the bail order was not obeyed by the federal government. Other bails granted by Justice Peter Affen and Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf of the FCT High Court were also ignored.

The ECOWAS Court also ordered the immediate release of Mr. Dasuki, who is accused of mismanaging billions of dollars meant for purchase of arms, describing his detention as illegal and unlawful.

All the court orders have, however, been ignored.
In the amended charge for which the court say on Thursday, Mr. Dasuki was accused of being in possession of prohibited firearms without the requisite licences in July 2015 contrary to Section 28 of the Firearm Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

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