Sambo Dasuki Arrested

An official report has it that Nigeria's sacked national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has been charged in court with illegally possessing weapons. It would be recalled that Sambo Dasuki was the National Security Adviser appointed by Mr. Good luck Jonathan. His appointment also came at the tail end of Jonathan's reign as president of Nigeria.

According to the report, the fire arms were seized during a raid on his properties. When asked by security agents to explain how the firearms got into his possession, Mr Dasuki denied any wrongdoing on the discovery and said the weapons belonged to his security guards.

It would be recalled that the present administration of Muhammadu Buhari had been upbeat about bringing to book any Nigerian who served under Jonathan and found guilty of any wrong doing. In recent times, some arrests and invitations by EFCC had been making the round. But Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser is the first senior official of the former government to be charged under President Muhammadu Buhari's rule.

Mr Buhari took office in May after defeating former President Goodluck Jonathan in elections. Since he was sworn in as President, he had vowed to recover all monies stolen from the purse of the country. Recent news have it that some successes had been made as some past big shots have been forced to return their loots. Some politicians still holding one elective post or the other are also following suit.

In a separate statement released recently, office of the president said he had ordered an investigation into military equipment bought since 2007.

The investigation was part of an effort to curb corruption and ensure that the military was properly equipped, it added.

Mr Buhari replaced Mr Dasuki and other security chiefs last month in a renewed effort to end a six-year insurgency by militant Islamist group Boko Haram, an effort which can be seen to be bearing fruit with Nigerian army rooting the book haram insurgents out of their stronghold.

Mr Dasuki played a prominent role in Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram.The Department of State Security said the decision to charge Mr Dasuki was in line with its commitment to upholding democratic values. No-one was above the law, no matter how highly placed they were in society, it added in a statement.

Mr Dasuki played a prominent role in the fight against terrorism during Goodluck Jonathan's rule. Many accused him of not only advising him on security issues, but also of taking over the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence.

It was clear that the defence minister at the time, Aliyu Gusau, was sidelined during the last few months of the Jonathan government. Mr Dasuki was at the centre of a row over Nigeria's unorthodox arms procurement in 2014, when South Africa seized suitcases packed with millions of dollars of cash at an airport in Johannesburg.

The Nigerian government said the money was intended to purchase weapons for the fight against Boko Haram, and denied allegations of corruption. Mr Dasuki argued for the postponement of Nigeria's presidential elections earlier this year, citing the security situation.

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