Appeal court orders FG to release Dasuki after granting him N100m bail

The court of appeal sitting in Abuja has ordered the Federal Government to release former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki after reviewing his bail conditions.

According to TheCable, the court in a certified true copy (CTC) of a judgement dated July 10, 2019, granted the former NSA a N100M bail and provide sureties in like sum.

The suit marked CA/A/806/2018 has the director-general of Department of State Services (DSS), and attorney-general of the federation (AGF) as respondents, TheCable reports.

You’ll recall that in 2018, Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court, Abuja granted the ex-NSA N200 million bail with two sureties.

The judge also held that the sureties must either be civil servants of grade level 16 in the federal civil service or private citizens who have landed properties in the municipal areas of Abuja, TheCable reports.

But contrary to the earlier ruling on his release and bail conditions, the appeal court reduced the bail to N100m adding that his sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

The judgement reads: “Each of the sureties shall furnish evidence of ownership of property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) worth N100,000.00.”

“Where there is need for any interview with the Applicant by the Respondents in respect of those allegations, the Appellant shall not be detained and such interview shall be conducted on working days only, between 9.00 hours to 18.00 hours.

“The International passport of Applicant shall remain with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court below for the time being.

“When those conditions are complied with, the Chief Registrar or Deputy Chief Registrar of the court below shall notify the respondents to that effect and the Applicant shall be released forthwith from custody of respondents.

“The Appellant shall he paid the sum of five million naira (5,000,000.00) compensation by the respondents for his unlawful arrest and detention in consonance with section 35(6) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).”

The former NSA has been in detention since 2015 for allegedly diverting funds meant to tackle the insurgency. He however denied the allegation.