Seized vehicles from Dasuki are with DSS, money with CBN since 2015, witness tells court

AN operative of the Department of State Service (DSS) Mr. William Obiora on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that all the vehicles belonging to former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Mohammed Dasuki (rtd), recovered in his house during a search operation are kept at the Headquarters of the DSS in Abuja since 2015.

The security operative who testified yesterday in the charges of alleged unlawful possession of firearms brought against the former NSA by the Federal Government also told the court that the money, comprising of local and foreign currencies found in Dasuki’s house were also deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) since 2015 for safekeeping.

Led in evidence by counsel to the Federal Government, Chief Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), the witness narrated how they arrived at the Abuja residence of Dasuki on July 16, 2015, and met armed soldiers guarding the house who resisted DSS operatives’ attempt to access the house and the former NSA for the search operation.

Obiora told the trial Judge, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed that it took 24 hours before the armed soldiers were pacified and stepped down on the order from above before they allowed the DSS to access the ex-NSA and the house to carry out the search operation.

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The DSS operative informed the court that the Army authority dispatched a truck to Dasuki’s house to evacuate the soldiers and moved them to the Army Headquarters before the operation could be effectively carried out.

During his evidence, Obiora testified that several vehicles, guns and some money were recovered in Dasuki’s house adding that while the vehicles were moved to the DSS headquarters’ premises since 2015, the money, in local and foreign currencies were deposited with the CBN.

Earlier, confusion had erupted when the witness could not properly identify some of the exhibits brought before the court for identification purposes.

The court was forced to stand the trial down for almost one hour for the prosecution counsel, Chief Oladipo Okpeseyi and the witness to put their house in order.

After his evidence, counsel to Dasuki, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN) applied for an adjournment to enable him cross-exam the witness in respect of his evidence.

Daudu hinged his request on the ground that the day had been fast spent before the witness concluded his evidence and that the court had several other cases to attend to.

The request for adjournment was not opposed by the prosecution, prompting the Judge to adjourn the matter till June 25, 2018, for cross-examination of the witness.