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Why It’s Dangerous To Release Dasuki Now, By Fed Govt by kingwalsdinho99: 7:56am On May 20, 2016 |
The Federal Government has explained why
former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col.
Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) was still
being held by the Department of State
Services (DSS).
It said Dasuki was being held on the ground
of national security, owing to his involvement
in the over $2 billion arms deal and for his
safety.
The government added that with the quantum
of arms and ammunition recovered from
Dasuki’s Abuja home, which he allegedly kept
illegally, there was the general apprehension
that he possesses more, which the state was
yet to discover.
It argued that Dasuki’s detention was
justified based on the intelligence and
security report in the disposal of the nation’s
security agencies and that national security
supersedes individual’s security.
These formed the submission of the lawyer to
the government, T. D. Kabiru, while arguing
the defendant’s case in the suit filed by
Dasuki, before the Community Court of
Justice of the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS), Abuja, challenging
his continued detention.
Kabiru said: “The position of the defence,
which is not controverted by the applicant, is
that the arms and ammunition recovered
during the search is not the only arms and
ammunition in the possession of the
applicant.
“There is fear that he has more. There is
intelligence report that some are yet to be
recovered. That we fear he has more is a
ground to hold him. There are ongoing
investigations, which are revealing fresh
facts concerning him.
“The right of an individual cannot supersede
the security of a country when there is
intelligence report to suspect the conduct of
the individual. The applicant did not deny that
these guns were recovered from his house.
“By Section 3 of the Firearms Act, CAP F28
LFN 2004, Part One of the Schedule thereof
prescribes the arms that cannot be licensed
for individual’s possession. The arms found
in his house fall into this category of
prohibited arms.
“Since they were illegally kept by the
applicant, the deduction is that they were
kept for illegal purposes. The Federal
Republic of Nigeria has justified, with the
evidence it has placed before the court, the
detention of the applicant on ground of his
own safety, and for the safety of other
Nigerians by virtue of the security report
received by the DSS.
“The law permits the DSS to restrict the
movement of even the President, if there is
security or intelligence that his life is at
risk.”
He urged the court not to grant Dasuki’s
prayers on the ground that he failed to
provide evidence on which the court could
act; having allegedly failed to prove that he
met the conditions attached to the bail
granted him by Nigerian courts.
The government called two witnesses, who
are operatives of the DSS as witness.
The first, Williams Obiora, an Assistant
Director, who was led in evidence by Kabiru,
gave details of how his team searched
Dasuki’s house and recovered arms and
ammunition, including cash.
Another DSS operative, Samuel Ogbu, on
Wednesday, while testifying in another case
involving Dasuki, identified items recovered
in the ex-NSA’s house as including: five
Tavor rifles, one Lugar rifle, one micro Uzi
rifle, various categories of ammunition and
cash in both local and foreign currencies.
Ogbu testified in the trial of Dasuki on
charges of unlawful possession of firearms
and ammunition and money laundering before
the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Under cross-examination by Dasuki’s lawyer,
Roberts Emukperuo, he confirmed that Dasuki
had been granted bail by a Nigerian court in
relation to the charge over illegal arms
possession and that he was released.
He said Dasuki’s detention was on the basis
of further intelligence at the disposal of the
DSS.
Obiora said he did not know whether there
was a detention warrant authorising the
applicant’s further detention.
“I am not aware that the applicant requested
for the DSS’ protection. But it is within our
mandate to ensure the protection of every
citizen once we ascertain his life is in danger
or needed to be protected,” he said.
The second defence witness, Alu Agbi, an
expert in weapon handling and training, told
the court that “the calibre of arms and
ammunition found in Dasuki’s house are
prohibited weapons under the nation’s law,
which individuals are not licensed to
possess”.
“I was trained on Uzi rifles. I was also trained
on Tavor assault rifle, manufactured in Israel.
The manufacturers were in Nigeria to train
us.
“The Tavor weapon fires 5.56 by 45
millimetres ammunition. It is capable of firing
810 metres per second to 960 metres by
second in velocity. It is also capable of firing
700 and 1000 rounds of ammunition in a
minute.
“It is a prohibited weapon. These weapons are
prohibited because individuals are not
allowed to possess it, except a staff of the
security agency, who it is assigned to for
assignment purpose, following which they are
returned.
“Tavor has effective range of 500 and 550
metres away from the firer. Uzi is 300
metres. Since they are prohibited weapons,
they are not supposed to be kept by private
individuals. They could use it against the
interest of the state or community,” Agbi
said.
Under cross-examination, he said he saw the
five pieces of Tavor rifles recovered from the
applicant’s house.
He could not say the exact date he trained in
the handling of Tavor, but that it is about five
years back.
When asked by the court, Agbi said he was
not part of the team that recovered the
weapons found in the applicant’s house
He also said the weapons were in the
custody of the DSS.
In his final submission, Emukperuo urged the
court to discountenance the defendant’s
arguments and grant his client’s prayers.
He argued that the defendant has
contradicted itself in arguing that the
applicant did not provide evidence to show
that he has met the bail granted him, having
admitted in another part of its evidence that
the applicant met his bail, was released and
later arrested on new information.
He noted that the reasons given by Obiora
were not about national security as argued by
the defence lawyer.
A three-man bench led by Justice Friday
Nwoke adjourned to June 29 for judgment. |
Re: Why It’s Dangerous To Release Dasuki Now, By Fed Govt by slyng(m): 8:17am On May 20, 2016 |
860m/s? What a velocity! Pls hold him till thy kingdom come |
(1) (Reply)
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