Abuja — In a brazen move to arrest and prevent the former National
Security Adviser, NAS, to President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki
(retd), from travelling abroad for medical attention, security
operatives, yesterday, besieged the Asokoro residence of the embattled
former military officer.
Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.): Former NSA
The siege on his 13, John Khadiya home, Asokoro by the operatives of
the Department of State Services, DSS, came moments after they had
successfully stopped him from travelling abroad for medical attention,
as directed by an Abuja Federal High Court.
The armed DSS officials, laden in two operational black trucks,
stationed themselves in front of the expansive compound of the former
NSA but were not confrontational with passers-by, who did not understand
what was going on around the highbrow neighbourhood.
Vanguard learnt that the siege might not be unconnected with a
renewed bid to arrest and charge Dasuki to a different court over what a
security source described as “fresh evidence” against him.
The overall goal, according to informed sources, is to make it
impossible for Dasuki to leave Nigeria with charges of illegal arms
possession and money laundering hanging on his neck.
The sources said the security agents were dissatisfied with Justice
Ademola Adeniyi’s order, directing them to release Dasuki’s passport for
him to travel abroad for three weeks in search of medical attention.
The security establishment, it was learnt, are apprehensive Dasuki
could escape from the country and evade prosecution for offences against
the state.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, last Tuesday,
granted Dasuki’s request for his passport to be released to enable him
to travel abroad for medical treatment.
However, Vanguard learnt, yesterday, that Dasuki, who was billed to
travel on Wednesday night, was stopped by security operatives at the
Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Dasuki reportedly returned to the airport yesterday morning to make
his trip but was also prevented by the same security agents, who did
not, however, give him any reason for their action.
Dasuki may challenge DSS
A frustrated Dasuki was said to have returned to his Asokoro house
following the aborted trip and was considering returning to the Federal
High Court to seek redress against the Department of State Security
Service, whose agents halted his movement abroad.
A source close to the former NSA said that Dasuki was in his house as
at the time Vanguard made contact with him. The source denied reports
that Dasuki had again been placed under house arrest by the DSS.
The source said: “The security agents only prevented Dasuki from
travelling on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. He has returned to
his house and is not under house arrest.”
But the DSS operatives had on Tuesday attempted to arrest a former
Adamawa State Governor, Boni Haruna, who had gone to court to stand
surety for the Dasuki.
Haruna, a former minister in the cabinet of President Goodluck
Jonathan, was reportedly questioned on how he knew that Dasuki would be
granted bail and why he went there as a surety.
The Department of State Security (DSS) last night explained reasons
why former National security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was
prevented from travelling out of the country for medical attention
saying that his refusal to appear before a committee investigating a
$2billion arms transaction in the Jonathan administration was
responsible.
It accused Colonel Sambo of pulling all strings available to him to evade investigation and painting the DSS in bad light.
According to a statement signed by Tony Opuiyo, DSS said “The
attention of the Department of State Services (DSS) has been brought to
the report making rounds that its operatives illegally blocked the
residence of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo
Dasuki (rtd), in violation of a subsisting court order granting him a
relief to travel oversea for medical services.
“This is to say the least that such report is not only unfounded and
malicious but aimed at tarnishing the good image of the Service.
“It may be recalled that Col. Sambo was initially arrested and
charged to court for unlawful possession of firearms and money
laundering, for which reason his international passport was seized and
on the order of the court, returned to the registrar for custody.
“What has brought the seeming standoff between Col. Sambo and the
Service, despite the court-ordered release of his international passport
on 4th November, 2015, is his refusal to appear before a Committee
undertaking the investigation of an entirely different case.
“The public may wish to note that the government set up the Committee
to investigate procurement processes relating to a two billion dollar
($2billion) arms transaction by the last administration, under which
Col. Sambo was the NSA.
“It was on this premise that he was invited by the Committee to shed more light on his involvement in the deal.
“It, therefore, remains surprising and shocking that Col. Sambo has
refused to honour invitations of the Committee but instead resorts to
grandstanding and subtle blackmail of the Service.
“His refusal to appear before the Committee has left the Service with
no option than to adopt legal means to ensure his attendance.
“Therefore, without doubt, Colonel Sambo is pulling all strings
available to him to evade justice and put the Service in bad light.
Dasuki reacts-I was never invited by investigation committee
Shortly after the Department of State Security (DSS) cited former
NSA, Colonel Sambo Dasuki’s refusal to appear before an investigation
committee looking into a $2billion arms purchase transaction as reason
for preventing him traveling abroad, the former NSA last night debunked
the claim.
Dasuki denied ever receiving any invitation letter to appear before a
Committee set up by the current administration to investigate
procurement processes relating to any arms transaction by the last
administration, under which he served.
Responding to the statement of DSS, he said ‘it was strange that a
committee purported to be operating from the Office of the National
Security Adviser could have transferred its mandates to DSS.
Dasuki was first arrested by the DSS in July after a prolonged siege on his Abuja residence.
He was charged to court with illegal possession of arms and money laundering.
