After being detained for close to one year, there were indications last night that President Muhammadu Buhari is no longer comfortable with the continued detention of former National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Sambo Dasuki, (retd).
A top aide of Buhari, who dropped the hint in Abuja, said Buhari had already given instructions to the relevant organs handling Dasuki’s corruption case to take steps to recover the huge cash allegedly mismanaged by him and set him free.
“I can tell you that the President is not comfortable with the continued detention of Dasuki despite the offences he allegedly committed against Nigeria and its people,” the aide said.
“The only condition Mr. President has asked Dasuki to fulfil is to refund the huge sum of public funds which were allegedly diverted under his watch as the NSA.
“And I want to tell you that we have the approval of Mr. President to release him (Dasuki) from detention as soon as he brings the money,” the official said.
Answering a question, the source explained that there was no truth in the claim that Buhari was interested in keeping Dasuki in detention as long as possible to settle some scores.
“I can tell you that it was Mr. President, who even asked us the other day why the former NSA was still being kept in detention and we told him that the three cases he had in court were responsible for the incarceration.
“He then said we have to take necessary steps to recover the money Dasuki is said to have mismanaged and allow him to return to his house,” the security aide quoted Buhari as saying.
Answering a question on the arrests of seven judges in relation to corrupt practices, the source asked rhetorically “If the judges were not taken in by DSS, who then has more authority to do so?
“Look, let me tell you that none of the existing Nigerian security agencies is more qualified to do what we did at the weekend because tackling corruption is a crucial step to ensuring the security and well being of the people.
“As you may or may not know, we are under oath to prevent the commission of heinous crimes, including looting of public funds, that may cause untold security problems for the generality of Nigerians.
“And let it be known to all Nigerians that we have no fear of anyone over what we did because it was done in the overall national interest of Nigeria,” the top official explained.
It will be recalled that apart from the charges preferred against Dasuki over the alleged diversion of $2.1 billion meant for the acquisition of arms for battling the Boko Haram insurgents, the former NSA also faces two other charges in the FCT High Court.
However, in an apparent bid to resolve the matter, the Federal Government last week, moved to consolidate all the charges against Dasuki, a move hailed by legal luminaries as a means of quickening the prolonged trial.
