Former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), has said that he has no feud with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Dasuki, who was Nigeria’s NSA until May 2015, was detained for more than four years by the Nigerian government over allegations of illegal possession of arms and misappropriation of $68 million arms fund.
He denied any wrongdoing.
The government refused him to release despite multiple court orders to that effect, fuelling rumours that Buhari was using security agencies to settle old scores with Dasuki.
His release on Tuesday and that of SaharaReporters’ Omoyele Sowore came on the heels of internal and external pressure on the Nigerian government to free persons illegally detained.
Government-backed National Human Rights Commission also asked the government to respect the court orders on Monday.
But Nigeria’s attorney-general and minister for justice Abubakar Malami said they were released based on earlier court orders.
“The two defendants are enjoined to observe the terms of their bail and refrain from engaging in any act that is inimical to public peace and national security as well as their ongoing trial which will run its course in accordance with the laws of the land,” Malami said in a statement shortly before the two men were freed on Tuesday.
The former NSA finally reunited with his family Tuesday night after four years in the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS).
He left the DSS premises at 9:00 p.m. and was received by family members and well-wishers at his Asokoro Residence at 9:30 p.m.
The former NSA was first arrested on December 1, 2015 by DSS and arraigned in Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
After perfecting his bail granted by the court, he was released on December 29, 2015 but was immediately re-arrested by the Operatives of DSS. He remained in the custody since then in violation of series of court orders issued for his release, further fuelling rumours that President Buhari has a personal grudge against him.
But the former NSA told the Hausa Service of Voice of America this morning of Wednesday, December 25: “I have no feud with anybody. I am more than that. I can’t engage in a feud with anyone.”
Dasuki said he stopped appearing in court as a protest against the government’s disregard for the court orders about his bail.
“I stopped going to the court because I was granted bail but the government refused to release me and I said whenever the bail order is complied with I will appear before the court and defend myself,” he said.
