The trial of a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), over the alleged diversion of ₦33.2 billion meant for arms procurement, continued on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, before Justice C. O. Agbaza of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja.
At the resumed hearing, the first prosecution witness (PW1), Dr. Michael Adariku, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), narrated in detail the movement of funds from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to various private individuals and companies.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, the witness told the court that on April 17, 2015, a sum of ₦600 million was transferred from the ONSA account domiciled with Zenith Bank to the UBA account of Acacia Holdings Limited. He said the Acacia account balance prior to the transfer was ₦27,094.49.
Adariku further testified that on April 23, 2015, ₦60 million was transferred to Hidayatul Atfaaf Islamic Academy. According to him, the proprietor, Mohammed Bashir, confirmed during EFCC interrogation that the money was a part payment for the purchase of 3.62 hectares of land in Kyami District, Abuja, acquired by the second defendant, Aminu Baba Kusa, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He said the total cost of the land was ₦120 million.
On the same date, the witness said ₦25 million was transferred in three tranches to Zavati BDC Limited, owned by Abdulrahman Aliu. EFCC investigations, he said, revealed that the payment was part of ₦40 million for a hospitality property, with the balance allegedly paid through Ibrahim Saleh Uba, identified as an agent and business facilitator to the second defendant.
Adariku also disclosed that on April 24, 2015, transfers amounting to ₦124 million were made from the ONSA account without clear narration. He added that further transfers on April 27, 2015, included ₦600,157 paid for land-related charges in the FCT, ₦8.1 million paid to Ibrahim Saleh Uba for survey and beacon processing for lands in Kwali, Wasa, Kyami and the Central Area of Abuja, as well as ₦50 million transferred in five tranches to Squad Developers Nigeria Limited.
According to the witness, Squad Developers’ owner, Sunday Gugu, told EFCC investigators that the ₦50 million was part payment for 118.2132 hectares of land at Stadium Layout, Kwali, Abuja, purchased for ₦75 million, with the outstanding ₦25 million paid through Uba.
The witness further testified that on April 28, 2015, a total of ₦55.9 million was transferred in six tranches to Fastman Investment Limited on the instruction of the second defendant. The Chief Executive Officer of Fastman Holding Group, Farouk Suleiman, reportedly confirmed the transaction and disclosed that he was contacted to facilitate a $1 million transfer to a client in Saudi Arabia, although only $630,000 was eventually transferred.
Adariku said the naira equivalent of the $630,000 was sourced through transfers from Reliance Referral Hospital Limited to Fastman Investment Limited.
He also told the court that additional transfers included ₦4.86 million and ₦29.1 million paid to one O. A. Akinrimade on April 30, 2015, as well as ₦70 million transferred to Medical Practice Limited, a company owned by the wife of the second defendant. He added that on May 4, 2015, another ₦80 million was paid to the same company, bringing the total transferred to Medical Practice Limited between April and May 2015 to ₦150 million.
According to the witness, on May 15, 2015, ₦23.7 million was transferred in three tranches to Namuduka Ventures Limited, owned by Murtala Bashir, who allegedly converted the funds to $200,000 and transferred it to the second defendant’s company account in the United Kingdom.
He further testified that additional sums amounting to ₦56.38 million from Medical Practice Limited, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited were converted to €233,944 and transferred to another UK account linked to the second defendant. He added that other transfers in May 2015 were converted to euros and remitted to accounts associated with the defendants in the UK.
Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter until January 14, 2026, for the continuation of trial.
The EFCC had on March 25, 2025, re-arraigned Dasuki alongside Aminu Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited on a 32-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and dishonest diversion of public funds totalling ₦33.2 billion.
