Buhari behind my continued incarceration – Dasuki

Dasuki

Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col Sambo Dasuki, (rtd) has told the Abuja High Court that President Muhammadu Buhari should be blamed for his continued incarceration.

Dasuki, 61, is standing trial for allegedly diverting $2.1 billion meant for the procurement of arms in the fight against Boko Haram into the private pockets of some high profile individuals.

Speaking through his counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), Dasuki said during the Presidential Media Chat in December 2015, Buhari instigated his continued detention despite being granted bail by three different courts.

The embattled former NSA said Buhari betrayed his emotions during the media chat when he told Nigerians that he and the Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, could not be released on bail because they would jump bail.

Daudu asked the court to suspend the trial of his client until the Federal Government is made to answer for contempt of court, adding that the court should also enforce Dasuki’s bail.

Counsel to the Federal Government, Rotimi Jacobs who opposed the application said the Federal Government did not disobey court orders as Dasuki was released from Kuje Prison on December 29, 2015 when he perfected his bail but was rearrested by another government agency.

Presiding judge, Justice Peter Affen, adjourned the matter till March 4 for ruling.

There are allegations in various quarters that President Buhari is pursuing a personal vendetta against Dasuki and wants him locked up by all means because the latter was instrumental to his arrest and maltreatment during the 1983 military coup.

However, Dasuki has vehemently denied arresting Buhari in the coup that ousted Buhari as head of state.

“I always respect and dignify my seniors and those in positions of authority, whether in service or after. Though as a young officer, I was reluctant to be among those that arrested him. And I was not,” he said last year in an interview with a blogger and the Publisher of Economic Confidential, Yushau Shuaib.

“I only met him (Buhari) afterward at Bonny Camp with Lawal Rafindadi. There is no way I could have maltreated him as being alleged in some quarters. I am glad most of the actors are still alive.”

Dasuki also disclosed that he had supported Buhari’s presidential aspiration in 2003, 2007 and 2011, adding that respected northerners such as Adamu Adamu, Bashir Kurfi and Wada Maida could be verify his claim. 

Col Abdulmumini Aminu (retd) has revealed that contrary to popular belief, he was the one who led a team of three Army officers to arrest Buhari. Buhari, he added, was never maltreated.

“I must confess that I led that operation. I went to Dodan Barracks that time in company of two other officers – then Major John Madaki and Lawan Gwadabe. Three of us went, but specifically I was the one that went upstairs to bring Buhari,” Aminu told Daily Trust in an interview.

“With due respect, I have been reading in the papers and listening to radio, people saying that we manhandled him, we disrespected him.  That was not true. I and General Buhari are the only two who knew what transpired upstairs and there was nothing like that.
“We gave him his absolute respect as a superior, because even before that time, we had absolute respect for him, because of whom and what he was. We respect him a lot till today and there is no animosity between us and he knew it was a military assignment that we were carrying out from our superior. He even told me at one time.”

Aminu declares that reports that Buhari was handcuffed are a “blatant lie”.

“It is a blatant lie. In an operation of that nature, we don’t carry handcuffs,” he said.