On Tuesday, the Federal Government displayed rifles, ammunition, and other items recovered from the Abuja residence of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, at the Federal High Court Abuja.
The items were displayed by Williams Obiora, an operative of the Department of State Security Services, (DSS), the prosecuting agency. Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Oladipo Okpeseyi, (SAN), Obiora told the court that local and foreign currencies were also recovered from the house and had been deposited at the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The money recovered, according to the witness was 40,000 dollars, N5 million and 20,000 dollars found in a vault and a Range Rover vehicle. The DSS operative told the court that they were recovered during a search which was carried out on the house following intelligence report that Dasuki was in possession of weapons injurious to national security.
According to the witness, the DSS team arrived Dasuki’s house on July 16, 2015 with a search warrant but was prevented from entering by armed soldiers guarding the house. He said that it was not until on July 17, 2015 when an order came from the army authority that the soldiers should allow the DSS to access Dasuki and his residence to carry out the search.
Obiora told the court that various categories of guns and live ammunition were found in the house and that 11 vehicles were also seized from the house and had been taken to the headquarters of the DSS.
One black CLK250 4matic Mecedez Benz, Black Lexus LX570, One black Range Rover, one ash Range Rover Vogue, one black peugeot turbo, one black Ford Taurus, one black Range Rover, one Range Rover Evogue, BMW X5, BMW X5 and BMW X5m were found.
The witness, who testified behind a curtain, further informed the court that at the end of the search, Dasuki signed the search warrant as evidence that all the items listed were recovered from his house. He said that Dasuki’s witness, one Bello Fadile also countersigned while the leader of the team signed for the DSS.
Joseph Daudu, (SAN), counsel to Dasuki, prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him to prepare to cross-examine the witness. The prosecutor did not oppose and the judge, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, adjourned the matter until June 25 for cross-examination of the witness and continuation of trial.
