A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted bail to the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd) after over two years in the detention of the Department of the State Services (DSS).
Dasuki, who had been granted bail by four different high courts in Nigeria and ECOWAS Court of Justice had filed a fundamental human rights suit against the Federal Government to obey all court orders for his release from detention.
In the latest judgment, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu ordered that Dasuki be released on bail in the sum of N200million and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must be a federal government employee not less than grade level 16 officer who must submit to the court his letter of appointment and the last letter of his promotion to pave way for the release of Dasuki.
In the event of a private person standing as surety, the court held that the person must have landed property in Abuja and must submit before the court original documents of the property and must also swear to the affidavit of means.
Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, in the judgment which lasted over one hour, blasted the Federal Government for detaining a Nigerian citizen for over two years without any justification contrary to the provisions of the law.
According to her, Dasuki’s detention since December 29, 2015 amounted to a violation of his right to liberty.
The court further dismissed the claim that Dasuki was being held in protective custody on the strength of the arms and ammunition allegedly found in his house.
The judge agreed with counsel to Dasuki, Ahmed Raji that Dasuki does not shun any invitation for interrogation by any of the security agencies, adding that from the affidavit evidence of the former NSA, it was clear that he had been detained since December 2015 without any investigation or interrogation.
The judge also dismissed the claims of the Federal Government that Dasuki was being held on fresh allegations of money laundering and abuse of court process, adding that such claims cannot be used to justify the detention of any Nigerian for as long as over two years without being charged to court on any fresh allegation.
In the event of any plan to investigate Dasuki, Justice Ojukwu ordered that such investigation must be conducted between the hours of 9am and 6pm on working days and that the former NSA must not be detained for whatever reason.
Counsel to Dasuki, Ahmed Raji, while reacting to the judgment, said that the judge has rekindled the hope of Nigerians in the judiciary, and promised that his client would do anything possible to perfect the bail conditions within a reasonable time.
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