By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North, & Ikechukwu Nnochiri
ABUJA — As details of huge funds disbursed by the Office of the National Security Adviser under Col. Sambo Dasuki continue to surface, indications emerged last night that the embattled security czar is set to expose more top Nigerian leaders who benefited from the funds.
A source close to the former NSA, who was docked yesterday, told vanguard that Dasuki who was arraigned yesterday alongside others on a fresh 19-count charge was ready to speak up on how the funds earmarked for his office was disbursed with details of top serving and retired Nigerian leaders who benefitted immensely from the money, which is now a subject of litigation.
Meanwhile, former Minister of State, Finance, Bashir Yuguda ,former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, former Director of Finance in the Office of the NSA, Mr. Salisu, Sagir Attahiru and a company the EFCC insisted was used to divert huge sums of money from the office of the NSA prior to the 2015 general elections, Dahaltu Investment Limited will be arraigned today even as Chairman Emeritus of Daar Communications was admitted to bail yesterday.
Dasuki to expose more
According to the source close to the former NSA, it had become necessary for Dasuki to expose the first in the series of the top beneficiaries, which include former heads of state and presidents, who were bought bullet-proof Sports Utility Vehicles by the ONSA with funds approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Although Dasuki is keeping the names of the beneficiaries of the car gifts to himself, the source told Vanguard that he was ready to spill the beans at the appropriate time, saying that the list will shock Nigerians.
Former national security adviser of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Sambo Dasuki . AFP PHOTO
According to the Dasuki aide, all the former presidents and heads of state got one exotic car from the embattled NSA and did not find out the source of the funding. The officer explained that of all the former presidents, one of them who has been very vociferous demanded two of the SUVs from the ONSA, who grudgingly obliged him.
The former head of state, it was gathered, had explained to Dasuki that he needed one of the vehicles to be kept for him in Abuja and another to be stationed in Lagos to ease his movement to the two main Nigerian cities. The officer however refused to give the cost of the exotic cars bought for the former heads of state and president, saying that the details could be obtained from the ONSA.
“What is coming will shock Nigerians and many of them will get to know if indeed Dasuki used the money to enrich himself as being bandied in many quarters. As a law-abiding NSA, he had to carry out the instructions handed over to him by the Presidency and nothing more,” the aide said.
“It is also instructive to note that those who are now blaming Dasuki for carrying out his assigned duties and calling for his head actually benefitted immensely from the security vote, which was domiciled in his office. The truth of the matter is that all over the world security votes are used for various reasons to bring about national peace and stability and Dasuki could not have done otherwise,” his aide said.
Dasuki, others plead not guilty to fresh charges
Meanwhile, Dasuki was arraigned before an Abuja High Court sitting in Maitama yesterday alongside his former Finance Director, Shuaibu Salisu and others on a fresh 19-count charge. Dasuki who was accused of allegedly diverting over N13.6 billion from the national treasury had stated clearly that all the funds spent by him were duly approved by former President Jonathan and that he acted at all times in the overall national interest of Nigeria and its peoples.
Others arraigned with them were, former Executive Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Commission, NNPC, Aminu Baba-Kusa, as well as his companies, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referal Hospital Limited. The accused persons were alleged to have illegally diverted over N13.6billion from the national treasury.
EFCC told the court that it was the accused persons that supervised the unlawful disbursement of billions of Naira from different bank accounts belonging to the office of the NSA. Bulk of the funds were allegedly withdrawn from an account the office of the NSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria. According to the anti-graft agency, the funds were distributed to delegates that attended the presidential primary election the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, held in Abuja in 2014, a process that saw the emergence of ex-President Jonathan as sole presidential candidate of the party.
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