EFCC Witness Testifies on Alleged ₦33.2bn Diversion by Former NSA Sambo Dasuki
The trial of former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), over the alleged diversion of ₦33.2 billion earmarked for arms procurement, continued on January 13, 2026, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja. The case is being heard by Justice C.O. Agbaza.
At the resumed proceedings, the first prosecution witness, Dr. Michael Adariku, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), gave detailed testimony outlining how funds were allegedly moved from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to private individuals and corporate entities for purposes unrelated to national security.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Adariku told the court that on April 17, 2015, the sum of ₦600 million was transferred from an ONSA account domiciled with Zenith Bank to Acacia Holdings Limited’s account with the United Bank for Africa (UBA). He disclosed that the beneficiary account had a balance of only ₦27,094.49 prior to the transfer.
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The EFCC witness further testified that on April 23, 2015, ₦60 million was transferred to Hidayatul Atfaaf Islamic Academy. According to him, investigations revealed that the proprietor of the academy, Mohammed Bashir, confirmed the funds were part payment for the purchase of 3.62 hectares of land located in Kyami District, Abuja, opposite Centenary City along Airport Road. The land, valued at ₦120 million, was allegedly acquired by the second defendant, Aminu Baba Kusa, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
On the same day, Adariku said ₦25 million was transferred in three tranches to Zavati Bureau De Change Limited, owned by Abdulrahman Aliu. EFCC investigations, he stated, showed that the money was part payment for a ₦40 million property, with the balance allegedly paid through Ibrahim Saleh Uba, described as a business facilitator to the second defendant.
The witness also told the court that on April 24, 2015, a total of ₦124 million was transferred from the ONSA account without any clear narration or stated purpose. Further transfers followed on April 27, 2015, including ₦600,157 for land-related charges in the FCT, ₦8.1 million paid to Ibrahim Saleh Uba for survey and beacon processing for multiple parcels of land across Abuja, and ₦50 million paid in five tranches to Squad Developers Nigeria Limited.
According to Adariku, the owner of Squad Developers, Sunday Gugu, confirmed during EFCC interrogation that the ₦50 million was part payment for 118.2132 hectares of land in Kwali, Abuja, purchased for ₦75 million, with the balance allegedly settled through Ibrahim Saleh Uba.
The court further heard that on April 28, 2015, ₦55.9 million was transferred in six tranches to Fastman Investment Limited on the instruction of the second defendant. The EFCC investigator said the company’s chief executive confirmed that the funds were meant to facilitate the transfer of $1 million to Saudi Arabia, although only $630,000 was eventually remitted. Additional naira payments were allegedly made to cover the foreign exchange transaction.
Adariku also testified that between April and May 2015, several payments were made to Medical Practice Limited, a company allegedly owned by the wife of the second defendant, amounting to ₦150 million. He added that other funds were converted into foreign currencies and transferred to accounts in the United Kingdom allegedly linked to the defendants.
Following the testimony, Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter to January 14, 2026, for continuation of the trial. Dasuki is standing trial alongside Aminu Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited on a 32-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and dishonest diversion of public funds.