The Federal Government will tomorrow explain why former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki is still being held, The Nation reports.
It was learnt yesterday the state intends to utilise the opportunity granted it by the Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to call oral evidence for that purpose.
The ECOWAS Court, in Abuja yesterday granted the Fed Govt’s request to be allowed to lead oral evidence in its defence in the fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Dasuki.
Justice Friday Nwoke, who presided over a three-man bench, ordered Dasuki to present his case today, while the Fed Govt will conduct it’s defence the next day.
Lawyer to the Fed Govt, Tajani Ganzali had, while applying to be allowed to lead oral evidence, informed the court that the state intends to make public details of the alleged atrocities committed while Dasuki was in office.
He said the state will call “insiders”, who will give details of what happened under Dasuki and why the the Fed Govt cannot afford to grant him freedom for now.
Justice Nwoke, in the ruling yesterday 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”.
Dasuki is contending, in the main, that his continued detention since December last year, despite court orders admitting him to bail, was a breach of his fundamental rights.
He urged the court to void the detention, the seizure of his properties and to bar government from further detaining him without a lawful court order.
Dasuki is seeking a compensation of N500 million as compensatory damages for the alleged unlawful invasion of his house by state’s agents, detention, seizure of properties and infringement on his rights.
He claimed that government had put him on trial in three different high courts on corruption charges where he was granted bail and that after his bail, he was re-arrested on December 29, 2015 and has since been held incommunicado without .
The court had on April 11, rejected Fed Govt’s objection to the suit and held that it has jurisdiction to hear it.
Justice Nwoke, who read the April 11 ruling, held that the court was with the requisite jurisdiction to inquire into whether or not the right of a citizen of any ECOWAS state has been breached.
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