Dasuki’s Trial: Defendants Made Their Statements Without Duress, Under Caution — Witness

The third prosecution witness (PW3), Salihu Kadiri, in the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), alongside Aminu Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, stated during a trial-within-trial before Justice Charles Agbaza of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court that the defendants made their extrajudicial statements voluntarily and under caution.

Dasuki and the three others are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 32-count charge bordering on breach of trust and dishonesty to the tune of ₦33,200,000,000 (Thirty-Three Billion, Two Hundred Million Naira).

Justice Agbaza had ordered the trial-within-trial following objections by counsel to the second and fourth defendants, Richard Ebie and A.O. Ayodele, respectively, who challenged the admissibility of their clients’ extrajudicial statements on the grounds that they were not voluntarily made, and were therefore inconsistent with Sections 15(4) and 17(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

The witness, an investigator with the EFCC, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that he recorded the statement of the second defendant as contained in Exhibits TWTA1 to TWTA7, including TWTA4. He affirmed that the statement was written at an EFCC office in the presence of his team members and other staff of the Commission, and that the defendant made the statement voluntarily after being duly cautioned.

During cross-examination, counsel to the second defendant, Solomon Umoh, SAN, asked whether there were visitation records of staff of Acacia Holdings Limited to the defendant while in EFCC custody. The witness answered in the affirmative.

When further asked whether video or CCTV recordings were made while the second defendant wrote his statement, the witness responded in the negative, stating that the law did not require such recording. He, however, added that there was CCTV coverage at the time, noting that the incident occurred about 10 years ago.

Counsel to the fourth defendant, A.O. Ayodele, also questioned why the witness did not append his signature on the dotted lines of the statement. In response, the witness stated that his signature was not a legal requirement, but noted that his handwriting appeared on the document.

Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter until May 15 and 29, 2026, for the defence to open its case.

Dele Oyewale
Head, Media & Publicity
April 22, 2026