Sambo Dasuki finally looks set to be released after sureties meet bail conditions laid down on Monday

FORMER national security adviser Retired Col Sambo Dasuki looks all set to be granted bail after being held for over two years in detention after the sureties standing in for him are in the final stage of perfecting the conditions granted by the court.

Col Sambo has been detained over his role in the spending of $1.2bn meant to fund the Nigerian military that got diverted to the Peoples Democratic Party to bankroll its 2015 election campaign. He has been detained since 2016 despite a repeated legal battle to get him freed but it appears that his sureties have now finally met the bail conditions granted him by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court Abuja.

Among the conditions the sureties are said to have met include the provision of tax certificates and other valid documents, which are currently being verified for clearance as directed by the judge. It is believed that Col Dasuki may subsequently be released by the government upon the perfection of the bail conditions in compliance with the court order.

On Monday this week, the court granted Col Dasuki bail after over two years in the detention of the Department of the State Services (DSS). Col Dasuki, who had been granted bail by four different high courts in Nigeria and Ecowas Court of Justice had filed a fundamental human rights suit against the federal government to obey all court orders for his release from detention.

Justice Ojukwu ordered that Col Dasuki be released on bail in the sum of N200m and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must be a federal government employee not less than grade level 16 officer who must submit to the court his letter of appointment and the last letter of his promotion to pave way for the release of Col Dasuki.

In the event of a private person standing as surety, the court held that the person must have landed property in Abuja and must submit before the court original documents of the property and must also swear to the affidavit of means. In his judgement, Justice Ojukwu, lambasted the federal government for detaining a Nigerian citizen for over two years without any justification contrary to the provisions of the law.

Meanwhile, Col Dasuki’s trial in the alleged misappropriation of security funds brought against him by the federal government has been put off again by a high court of the Federal Capital Territory. This followed the inability of the federal government to file the list of exhibits to be tendered against him as required by law.