A Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed September 13 for ruling in Federal Government’s application to protect its witnesses during the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
Dasuki is facing trial for alleged possession of illegal firearms and money laundering, which he had pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecuting Counsel, Mr Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), in his application urged the court to grant an order to protect the identities of the prosecution witnesses.
Okpeseyi also asked the court to direct that the identities of Federal Government witnesses should not be disclosed in any records or reports that were accessible to the public.
He contended that most of the witnesses were security personnel who were involved in other operations across Nigeria.
The prosecutor also submitted that exposing the identity of the prosecution witnesses could make them easy targets of highly possible attacks from those sympathetic to the former NSA.
“These are people who are allegedly in possession of some highly sophisticated arms and ammunition allegedly imported by the defendant,’’ Okpeseyi said.
He said that the defendant, while he was serving as NSA to former President Goodluck Jonathan, imported a large cache of highly sophisticated arms and ammunition.
Okpeseyi also claimed that most of arms and ammunition had not been accounted for.
He also said that some of the witnesses, whose tour of duty involved carrying out covert operations for the security of the country, would have their cover blown if made to testify without protection.
He emphasised that such exposure could endanger public security of the country.
While opposing the motion, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN), counsel to Dasuki, urged the court to dismiss the application for being an abuse of court process.
Daudu argued that the court had earlier dismissed the same motion made by the prosecution on May 3, 2016.
He said that for the prosecution to represent the same application would mean that the prosecution was abusing the process of law.
He said rather than approach the Court of Appeal, the prosecution decided to file the same application.
Daudu, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application for lacking in merit and an abuse of court process.
After listening to the submissions of both parties in the case, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, adjourned ruling in the motion till September 13.
