DASUKIGATE: FG FILES NEW APPLICATION FOR MASKED WITNESSES [DETAILS]

The Nigerian Government has filed a fresh application for masked witnesses in the trial of the former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.).


The Government had earlier in the trial filed the same application, which was rejected by the court.

However in the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Counsel to the federal government Oladipo Opeseyi filed a motion asking the court for an order to shield the identities of the witnesses and that the record of proceedings not to be made accessible to the public.

Opeseyi also applied for an order to permit the witnesses to be addressed with pseudo names in the cause of the trial of the ex-NSA.

In a five paragraph affidavit deposed by Emmanuel Ikpebe in support of the motion, Tv360 reports that the government said Mr. Dasuki served in the intelligence unit of the army and that a large quantity of ammunitions was found in his house when searched, in addition to various foreign currencies that the defendant could not explain the source.

The new motion premised the request on 10 grounds among which are that “Dasuki as a former NSA, a retired senior military officer and a crown prince of Sokoto Caliphate commands large followership throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria who may be aggrieved by his trial.”

The government also claimed that most of the witnesses were security personnel and had expressed fears of being identified by members of the public who are sympathetic to Mr. Dasuki.

The government also claimed in the motion that Dasuki, while in office as NSA, imported into the country a large cache of highly sophisticated arms and ammunition for national security purposes that have not been accounted for.

However, counsel to Dasuki, Joseph Daudu, told Justice Adeniyi Ademola that he had just been served with the motion and that he needed time to respond.

The judge adjourned the matter till June 23.

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