FG Given 24 Hours To Justify Dasuki's Detention

The Nigerian government has been ordered by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court to justify Sambo Dasuki’s detention in one day.

Dasuki was arrested in November 2015 for allegedly diverting the sum of $2.1 billion meant to aid in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency in the north east.

The former national security officer who has been detained since December 2015 was also ordered by the court to make out his case against government challenging his detention, The Punch reports. The ECOWAS court gave the order on Tuesday, May 17, while hearing Dasuki’s suit challenging his alleged unlawful detention, unlawful seizure of properties and infringement on his fundamental rights to freedom of liberty.

The presiding judge, Justice Friday Nwoke, in his ruling said:

“Having listened to parties in this matter and the parties having filed and put all necessary documents and exhibits at the disposal of this court and having granted accelerated hearing in this matter, it is in the interest of justice that this case must be expeditiously dealt with.

“In this regard, the plaintiff is hereby ordered to make out his case on Wednesday, May 18 and the defendant to ventilate its defense the following day, May 19 after which we will adjourn for judgment.”

He also granted the federal government the permission to give oral evidence in the fundamental human rights suit filed by Dasuki, but ordered that the two witnesses proposed by the government would only be entertained in one day.

In the suit filed through his counsel, Robert Emukpoeruo, Dasuki accused the federal government of breaching his rights by keeping him detained after he was granted bail by the three judges in three different high courts where he was being prosecuted on different sets of corruption charges.

The ECOWAS court had earlier dismissed the Federal Government’s preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit.