Embattled former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, a retired Colonel, has denied implicating anyone with regards to the probe involving the alleged diversion of $2.1 billion meant for arms procurement.
Dasuki, who is in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, spoke through his lawyer, Ahmed Raji.
“I was with Dasuki yesterday and wish to make categorical statement that my client never made any statement of such nature or naming anybody or group in any statement,” Raji said.
“Quote me anywhere, Dasuki has not done anything like that. It is absolutely untrue. It is the figment of the imagination of the authors aimed at creating falsehood for reasons best known to them and Nigerians should disregard them,” the lawyer stated.
There have been reports that following Dasuki’s initial reluctance to cooperate with security agents, his stance changed after being made aware of the statement of a former director in his office, Shuaibu Salisu, but the former NSA’s lawyer said the reports had clandestine motive.
“They are just out to scandalise the man, bring his image and character into disrepute so that his friends and well wishers can run away from him. They want him deserted and that will fail.”
Meanwhile the federal government has hired a private lawyer, Oladipupo Okpeseyitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, to lead Dasuki’s on going prosecution for money laundering and illegal gun possession.
As a resumed hearing on Thursday, Okpeseyitan, announced himself and notified the presiding judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, that he had filed a motion for stay of execution of the court’s decision to grant Dasuki permission to travel abroad for medical treatment and asked the court to put the trial on hold pending the determination of his appeal.
Dasuki’s lawyer asked for more time to respond to the motion, as he was just served in court.
The case was thus adjourned till December 8, 2015.