The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria rearrested Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), former governor Attahiru Bafarawa, former finance minister Bashir Yaguda, and two others on Monday for suspected theft of N23.3 billion.
Mr Bafarawa’s son, Sagir, and their firm, Dalhatu Investment Limited, have also been charged.
They were charged with 25 counts of misappropriation and obtaining fraudulent gains, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
The defendants were originally brought before Justice Peter Affen, now a justice of the Court of Appeal, in 2015.
They were later rearrested in front of Justice Husseini Baba Yusuf, currently the FCT top justice, and Justice Yusuf Halilu.
The EFCC accused them of diverting funds from the National Security Adviser’s Office to support electoral campaigns between 2013 and 2015.
When the accusations were read to the defendants, they all pled not guilty. The defendants must follow the bail conditions that were previously imposed on them.
Halilu set a trial date on June 30 and a hearing date of June 7 to hear an application made by Dauski’s attorney.
Earlier, Bafarawa’s attorney, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, requested the court to allow the defendants to continue to be released on bail.
He stated that on December 21, 2015, Justice Affen granted them bail, and on October 7, 2016, Baba-Yusuf requested them to continue on the same terms.
Oluwaleke Atolagbe, counsel for the prosecution, would not object as long as the defendants were present in court for their trial.
According to NAN, Dasuki’s attorney, Raji Ahmed, SAN, reminded the court of his client’s motion to fly overseas for medical treatment.