A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, fixed October 28 to rule in an application by the Federal Government, seeking secret trial of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former National Security Adviser (NSA).
Dasuki, NSA in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, is standing trial on charges of unlawful possession of firearms.
The presiding Judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi, gave the date after counsel to the parties argued the application.
“I have heard the positions of parties; due to the nature of the motion, I will need up to Wednesday to give the ruling. The ruling is fixed for Wednesday, October 28,’’ he said.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Mr Shuaibu Labaran, had argued that secret trial of the ex security chief was necessary for the security of witnesses.
The application was brought pursuant to section 36(4) of the 1999 constitution and section 232 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.
“My Lord, we are seeking an order to direct that the names and address of all its witnesses should not be disclosed in any record or report of proceedings that may be accessible to the public.
“The witnesses should be permitted to use pseudo names in the course of proceedings to grant them access to a non-public route and to also allow them use private witnesses room.
“We also seek the order of the court for witnesses to wear facial masks while giving their evidence throughout the proceedings,’’ he said.
Labaran said that the witnesses demanded secret trial for fear of possible reprisal attacks from undisclosed places.
However, counsel to the accused person, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN), urged the court to dismiss the application for lack of merit.
According to him, the names of the witnesses are already in the public domain at the instance of the prosecution.
Daudu described the application as “mere academic exercise’’ that should not be granted by the court.
“We are urging the court to discountenance this application and allow the natural flow of this case in line with the standard procedure,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the prosecution counsel had filed amended charges against the accused person with the inclusion of alleged money laundering allegations.
The charge sheet alleged that Dasuki contravened section 15 (2)(d) of Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 while in office.
Dasuki, in taking his fresh plea, denied committing such an act.
The fresh charge sheet among other four counts held that the Dasuki was found to have illegally retained $210,000 and N42.8 million separately in his apartments in Abuja and Sokoto respectively.
It alleged that the accused person acquired the money contrary to section 15 (2)(d) of Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011.
An application for temporary release of the accused person’s traveling documents to enable him go for medical checkup abroad was also reserved to be argued on October 28.
