The Federal Government has said it is yet to recover all “sophisticated arms and ammunition” allegedly imported and kept away by the ex- National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
The government said although it has recovered some of the arms and ammunitions, including cash in foreign currencies in Dasuki’s Abuja home, security operatives were yet to locate others.
The government stated these in an application filed on June 3 before the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking witness protection arrangement for prosecution witnesses in Dasuki’s ongoing trial for illegal arms possession and money laundering.
The government said, in the application filed by prosecution lawyer, Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN), that Dasuki was a man of huge influence across the country, and that the safety of witnesses it intends calling would be threatened if their identities were not concealed.
“The defendant (Dasuki), while serving as the NSA, imported into the country a large cache of highly sophisticated arms and ammunition, most of which have not been accounted for.
“Upon the search of the defendant’s residence, some of these arms and ammunition were recovered, while the whereabouts of others is not known till date.
“A huge volume of these highly sophisticated arms and ammunition is feared to be in the possession of persons, who are sympathetic to the defendant.
“The defendant was the immediate past National Security Adviser (NSA), a retired senior military officer and crowned prince of Sokoto Caliphate, who undoubtedly, commands large followership throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria and, who may be aggrieved by this trial.
“Most of the witnesses in this case are security personnel, who are involved in other operations across the country, while others are residents within the area of dominance of the defendant and have expressed fears of being identified by members of the public, who are sympathetic to the defendant,” it stated.
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