ECOWAS court to rule against Nigeria over Dasuki's detention

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice is set to rule on former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki’s petition that his rights had been violated by the Nigerian government.

– The government argued that Dasuki was detained for his own protection and the sake of national security

– Government’s lawyers also denied that Dasuki ever fulfilled the conditions for his bail and was not released as ordered by three high courts

Premium Times is reporting that ECOWAS Court of Justice is set to rule against the Nigerian government in the case brought before it by the former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki over his continued detention.

According to the report, Dasuki filed a N500million lawsuit against the government for keeping him detained since December 29, 2015 even after three different high courts where he was arraigned on corruption charges granted him bail.
Lawyers representing the federal government Williams Obiora and Alu Agbi told the court that Dasuki was in detention for his own protection.

They noted that his case bordered on national security which superseded individual security, hence his detention by the State Security Service (SSS).

But Dasuki’s lawyer, Robert Emukperuo urged the court to disregard arguments on the grounds they were not in line with the documents filed.

Emukperuo asked the court to grant his client’s application oral evidence by the one of the witnesses alluded to safety and possibility of escape and not national security, contrary to one of the documents tendered by the defence.

Proceedings in the case had ended with the conclusion of oral evidence by two SSS officials and judgement was supposed to be on June 29 but the presiding judge Justice Friday Nwoke postponed the ruling because of a vacation.

Should the ECOWAS court grant Dasuki his prayers to be awarded damages for the alleged violation of his fundamental human rights by the Nigerian government as the ruling appears set to go, then Nigeria might have to pay Dasuki several millions of naira for detaining him unlawfully.

NAIJ.com recalls that there was some drama at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday, September 29, when retired colonel Sambo Dasuki failed to show up in court.

He was supposed to be present for the ongoing trial in the money laundering and breach of trust charges brought against him and others since last year.

The ECOWAS Court has in the past lamented that member countries don’t abide by its judgements.