.Probes CFA 7m smuggled through Idiroko border en route Benin Republic
Blessing Omale, Abuja
A former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), and three others were re-arraigned on Tuesday before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja for an alleged N33.2 billion fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission brought the charges against Dasuki alongside a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Aminu Baba-Kusa, as well as two companies—Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.
The defendants are facing a 32-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust and dishonest release of public funds.
Their re-arraignment before Justice Charles Agbaza follows the reassignment of the case by the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who was previously handling the matter.
Dasuki was first arraigned on December 14, 2015, before Justice Baba-Yusuf, alongside a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Shuaibu Salisu, on a 19-count charge linked to an alleged N15.5 billion fraud.
The charges were later amended, and Salisu’s name was removed.
Subsequently, Dasuki and the others were re-arraigned on May 11, 2018, on a fresh 32-count charge involving N33.2 billion.
However, the trial was stalled after the prosecution presented only one witness—the investigating officer—who had yet to conclude his testimony before the case was indefinitely adjourned.
The EFCC had also filed another case against Dasuki in 2015, in which he was charged alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; a former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa; his son, Sagir Bafarawa; and his company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
They faced a 25-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N19.4 billion.
The case was recently transferred to Justice Yusuf Halilu.
Both trials suffered multiple delays due to the refusal of the Department of State Services to release Dasuki on bail, despite court orders granting him bail.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the 32 counts read to them.
The prosecution counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, then requested a trial date.
Lawyers to Dasuki and Baba-Kusa, A.A. Usman and Richard Ibiye, urged the court to allow the defendants to continue enjoying their existing bail, assuring that they had always been present for court proceedings.
The prosecution did not oppose the request but stressed the importance of the defendants’ continued presence throughout the trial.
After considering submissions from both sides, Justice Agbaza ruled that the defendants should remain on their existing bail and adjourned the trial to July 1.
Meanwhile, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched an investigation into the smuggling of CFA 7 million (approximately N17 million) intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Idiroko border in Ogun State.
According to a statement signed by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media & Publicity at the EFCC, the probe commenced after the seized foreign currency was officially handed over to the commission by the Customs’ Area Comptroller, Mohammed Shuaibu, at Idiroko in Ipokia Local Government Area on Tuesday.
During the handover, Comptroller Shuaibu disclosed that the intercepted money, stashed in CFA 5,000 denomination notes, was being smuggled out of Nigeria en route to the Republic of Benin.
He explained that customs operatives discovered the cash concealed in a bag along the Baggage Road at the border.
The bag had reportedly been abandoned in a corner by an unidentified individual, suspected to be the courier.
“On March 20, 2025, our officers on duty at the outward Baggage Hall spotted a suspicious bag.
“A thorough search revealed it contained newly minted foreign currency notes,” Shuaibu stated.
Further examination confirmed the bag held CFA 7 million, an amount that should have been declared in accordance with financial regulations.
“It might interest you to know that failure to declare any cash amounting to the seized currency runs contrary to the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1995,” Shuaibu noted.
He emphasized that the Customs Service remains committed to inter-agency collaboration and assured that the handover aligns with the policy direction of Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
Receiving the seized cash on behalf of the EFCC, Moses Oguzi, Head of Investigations at the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, commended the vigilance of the Customs Service in safeguarding Nigeria’s borders.
Speaking on behalf of the Acting Zonal Director, ACE1 Ahmad Ghali, Oguzi assured that the commission would conduct a detailed forensic probe to uncover those behind the smuggling attempt.
“This is a reminder that no effort will be spared in holding accountable those who seek to undermine the integrity of our financial systems,” he affirmed.
The EFCC’s investigation is expected to reveal the origin of the cash, its intended purpose, and the network behind its attempted smuggling.
Authorities warn that financial crimes, especially currency smuggling, will be met with stringent measures to protect Nigeria’s economic stability.
