Former NSA Dasuki Allegedly Sanctioned Misallocation of Election Security Funds – Witness

On Wednesday, during proceedings at the FCT High Court, a prosecution witness detailed how N2.2 billion allocated for election security was allegedly diverted from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under Sambo Dasuki.

Michael Adarikun, the first prosecution witness and a detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), testified that these funds were originally intended for the security of state governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Instead of utilizing the funds correctly, it is claimed that ONSA, led by Dasuki, transferred the N2.2 billion to Acacia Holdings Limited, owned by Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former official of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Since 2015, the EFCC has been pursuing legal action against Dasuki, a retired colonel, along with Baba-Kusa on multiple counts related to the diversion of over N33.2 billion allotted for arms and security purposes entrusted to the NSA office.

The case has been brought against them alongside Baba-Kusa's companies – Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited – which are alleged to have received portions of the misappropriated funds from ONSA.

The EFCC re-arraigned the defendants following the reassignment of the long- standing case to Judge Charles Agbaza, with all defendants rejecting the claims presented by the EFCC.

The witness, Adarikun, stated that the N2.2 billion transfer to Acacia Holdings was authorized by Dasuki during his testimony, which was supported by the EFCC's lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

This led to a dispute in court when Jacobs inquired how the money was utilized, prompting defense attorneys to object, arguing that any response from the witness would be purely subjective.

Defense lawyer Ebie Richard referenced Section 67 of the Evidence Act 2011, stating that opinion evidence is not permissible unless specified under other sections of the Act. Richard contested that Adarikun, lacking expertise, should not provide an opinion on the matter.

Jacobs rebutted, emphasizing that the witness's position as the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) empowers him to give an informed account. Judge Agbaza subsequently allowed the question.

In reply, Adarikun confirmed that the N2.2 billion reallocated from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for election security was redirected to Acacia Holdings’ account, rather than being used for its intended purpose.

He further asserted that the funds were instead distributed to various individuals and entities for personal interests and businesses connected to the second defendant, Baba-Kusa.

The witness expanded on his testimony, revealing that the first three transactions involved the allocation of N600 million and N650 million to Acacia Holdings, UBA, and Ecobank accounts, respectively. Additionally, he mentioned N750 million transferred to Reliance Referral Hospital's account, explaining that these amounts were part of the N2 billion sourced from the CBN intended for election security.

Further investigation showed that Acacia Holdings' Ecobank account listed a transfer of N650 million from NSA’s account on April 17, 2015. Adarikun substantiated his claims by indicating transfers made on various dates, including payments to different individuals linked to Baba-Kusa and expenses categorized as ‘miscellaneous customer service’.

During a subsequent session, the EFCC attempted to introduce Baba-Kusa’s statement made in late 2015, but defense lawyers protested, maintaining that the statement was coerced.

Adarikun mentioned that the statements were prepared in an area accessible to the public and EFCC staff with Baba-Kusa's legal representative present, yet the defense lawyer insisted that such conditions could not guarantee voluntariness given the circumstances.

This prompted the judge to order a trial within a trial to assess the statement's admissibility and the proceedings were adjourned until February 24.

Adarikun is the first witness brought forth by the EFCC since the re- arraignment of the defendants in March 2025, detailing the alleged diversions under Dasuki's authority.

The lengthy trial has faced numerous adjournments due to the State Security Services’ refusal to grant bail to Dasuki despite repeated court directives. Dasuki served as NSA from 2012 to 2015, during Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram attacks under then-President Goodluck Jonathan's administration.

The N33.2 billion fraud case is one of several litigations initiated by the EFCC following the scandal that emerged over the alleged misallocation of funds intended for arms procurement to bolster military actions against Boko Haram between 2014 and 2015.

An audit commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari after his election in 2015 uncovered the lack of accountability for nearly $2 billion meant for arms procurement, funds managed by the NSA under Dasuki's supervision. Dasuki is also facing trial alongside former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, his son Sagir Bafarawa, and former Minister of State for Finance Bashir Yuguda for an alleged N4.6 billion arms procurement fraud—charging them with diverting funds supposedly allocated to bolster military operations against Boko Haram.