The Federal Government has again applied to the Federal High Court in Abuja for the protection of witnesses billed to testify against former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd), in the criminal charges of unlawful possession of firearm arms and money laundering.
In a motion on notice brought to the court on Wednesday, the government prayed the court for an order to shield the identity of the witnesses and that the record of proceedings not to be made accessible to the public.
In the motion filed by prosecution lawyer, Oladipo Opeseyi, the government also applied for an order to permit the witnesses to be addressed with pseudo names in the cause of the trial of the ex-NSA.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola had in February dismissed a similar motion on protection of witnesses brought to the court on the ground that the motion was baseless and unwarranted.
The judge said that the same government cannot ask for protection of witnesses having filed the charges and proof of evidence along with the names of the witnesses and put the same in the public domain for public consumption.
Justice Ademola said in the ruling that the purpose of seeking protection in the earlier motion had already been defeated by government, having published the names of the witnesses and circulated same to different parties.
The new motion premised the request on 10 grounds among which are that “Dasuki as a former NSA, a retired senior military officer and a crown prince of Sokoto Caliphate commands large followership throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria who maybe be aggrieved by his trial.”
The government also claimed that most of the witnesses were security personnel and had expressed fears of being identified by members of the public who are sympathetic to the accused.
The government also claimed in the motion that Dasuki, while in office as NSA, imported into the country a large cache of highly sophisticated arms and ammunition for national security purposes that have not been accounted for.
Besides, the government also alleged that large amount ammunition is believed to be in the possession of persons sympathetic to the former NSA.
The government also said that the security of its witnesses would be violated if they are made to testify publicly without any protection.
In a five-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Emmanuel Ikpebe in support of the motion, the government said Dasuki served in the intelligence unit of the army and that a large quantity of ammunition was found in his house when searched, in addition to various foreign currencies that the defendant could not explain the source.
Counsel to Dasuki, Joseph Daudu, told Justice Ademola that he had just been served with the motion and that he needed time to respond.
The judge adjourned the matter till June 23.
