Dasuki: Court dismisses DSS bid to reproduce old exhibits

A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused an application by the Department of State Services (DSS) to represent exhibits earlier rejected by the court in the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Col Sambo Dasuki. Justice Peter Lifu on Tuesday held that having been rejected for lack of relevance, they cannot be […]

A Federal High Court in Abuja has refused an application by the Department of State Services (DSS) to represent exhibits earlier rejected by the court in the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Col Sambo Dasuki.

Justice Peter Lifu on Tuesday held that having been rejected for lack of relevance, they cannot be represented in the matter.

The judge added that any attempt to reintroduce the exhibits through the backdoor would amount to “judicial rascality and pettiness”.

The prosecution counsel, Oladipupo Okpeseyi (SAN) made the application on September 25 for the Court’s sitting to move to the DSS premises for the inspection of the exhibits, including vehicles allegedly recovered from a search at Dasuki’s house in 2015.

The lawyer said the items were among those listed 18 to 24 on the search warrant conducted in Dasuki’s Asokoro, Abuja house in 2015 where other items like two compact discs of Freedom Radio on Jokolo, two GTB cheque books, two blackberries’ phones, Nokia phone, flash drive, Apple Laptop and statement of account, were recovered.

However, counsel to Dasuki, A. A. Usman, objected to the application by Okpeseyi for being strange and unknown to law, adding that once an exhibit is rejected and marked so by court, such exhibit stands rejected. 

 

Dasuki was charged with unlawful possession of firearms.