Justice Baba Yusuf of the Federal High Court, Abuja today Friday Jan.
22nd adjourned the trial of the former National Security Adviser, Col.
Sambo Dasuki till February 4.
The counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, told Justice Yusuf
on Friday that an application had earlier been made by Mr. Dasuki
through his clients for stay of proceedings in court.
He said his client was of the view that the application should be
refused. He noted that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act
stipulates
that such cases be heard daily, and argued that while the judge could
hear a motion from the defendants, as the case progresses, a prayer for
stay of proceedings should not be allowed.
Mr. Dasuki’s counsel, Joseph Daudu, countered that the details in the
said application should be strongly evaluated, as it contained an abuse
of the rules of court. Dauda said he had been unable to reach his client since he was
rearrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He was only able to see his client after a long time,
after a court order on Thursday demanded that Mr. Dasuki be produced in
court. The counsels to the second, third, fourth defendants also said they
had neither been served with the said application, nor with the counter
affidavit, from the prosecution.
Justice Yusuf, therefore ruled that the matter could not be heard yet.
"Having heard all parties, I can say with all sense of notice that the matter cannot be heard today," he noted.
He said it was important to allow Mr. Dasuki go through
the counter-affidavit and make his responses to the issues raised and
directed that counsels to the other defendants be served with the
motion on notice, as well as the counter affidavits, before the next
date of hearing.
Source: Premium Times
Photo credit: Stephanie Findlay
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