A federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered that former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasiki, a retired colonel, who is being tried by three different courts on charges ranging from illegal firearms possession, money laundering and misappropriation of about N19.4 billion, be physically produced to the court on February 16 to answer to criminal charges against him.

Dasuki was rearrested on December, 29 2015, by operatives of the State Security Service, SSS, after he was granted bail by a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court and was not presented in court at the resumed hearing of his case on Wednesday.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who gave the order the order that Dasuki be produced at the next sitting of the court on the matter, said that it is mandatory for a defendant in a criminal matter to be physically present at all times during the trial, except if he/she is excused by the court.

“I am worried that the accused is not here. I do not want to set a bad precedent.  Except the court gives express order for the defendant not to be in court, the accused must be brought to court from wherever he is,” the judge ruled.

Justice Ademola stated further: “Government and whoever is concerned must endeavour to do the necessary thing. The accused having been formally charged in court, must be produced in court for trial on the appointed days in compliance with provisions of the law.”

Counsel to Dasuki, Joseph Daudu, SAN, had complained to the court that his client was abducted by security agents to an unknown destination even after fulfilling the bail condition granted by the court.

The counsel told the court that that efforts by Dasuki’s family members and his lawyers to see him had failed since he was taken away by security operatives in the dying days of 2015.

Dauda lamented that the federal government had refused to allow Dasuki go home in spite of the fact that three different high courts where he is being tried had granted him bail.

The counsel to the federal government, Dikpo Okpeseyi , SAN, had earlier applied for withdrawal of an application seeking the revocation of bail granted Dasuki on November 3, 2015.

The judge struck out the application and said that he would on February 16 rule on a pending application by the federal government that Dasuki be tried in secret.