BREAKING NEWS, Security
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The Officials of Department of State Services in Nigeria surround retired Col. Sambo Dasuki’s house in Abuja, to prevent him from travelling abroad for medical checkup because he failed to appear before the committee investigating arms procurement during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan
THE travail of Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former national security adviser, NSA, is far from over. On Thursday, November 6, the officials of the Department of State Security, DSS, in Nigeria laid siege on his home probably to prevent from travelling abroad for medical checkup.
The DSS, however, said Dasuki has been placed under house arrest as his home in the nation’s capital, Abuja, is currently surrounded them. It explained that Dasuki was prevented from travelling abroad for medical treatment because he refused to appear before a committee set up by the federal government to investigate a N2 billion arms transaction by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
The service stated that Dasuki was invited to shed light on his involvement in the arms procurement processes, but had consistently refused to honour the committee’s invitation.
The DSS, in a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, by its official, Tony Opuiyo, accused the former NSA of grandstanding and blackmail.
The agency denied blocking Dasuki’s residence in violation of a subsisting court order granting him a relief to travel oversea for medical services, describing the allegation as “unfounded and malicious aimed at tarnishing the good image of the Service.”
The statement read, “It may be recalled that Dasuki 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 however brought the seeming standoff between Dasuki and the Service, despite the court-ordered release of his international passport on November 4, 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 $2 billion arms transaction by the last administration, under which 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 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.”
The service accused Dasuki of pulling all strings available to him to evade justice and put it in bad light, stressing that it was not persecuting him.2015-11-06
The former NSA is being tried in the court for illegal possession of arms and money laundering following a previous siege on his Abuja home and subsequent arrest in July.
A Federal High Court in Abuja, had on Monday, November 2, granted Dasuki permission to travel abroad within a period of three weeks for medical attention pending the commencement of his trial on the November 26 and 27.
On Wednesday, Dasuki was reportedly prevented by security agents from travelling abroad for medical attention, as directed by an Abuja Federal High Court.
It was learnt that the former NSA boss was stopped by security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Dasuki reportedly returned to the airport on Thursday 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.
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.
— November 6, 2015 @ 11:20 GMT
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