Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has given the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) three days—7, 8, and 9 July 2025—to conclude its ten-year-old corruption case against former National Security Adviser, Mohammed Sambo Dasuki.
The decision came as the trial, originally filed in 2015, resumed afresh in Justice Lifu’s courtroom. During proceedings, legal arguments arose over a subpoena issued on 24 May 2018 to the Department of State Services (DSS), which was asked to present items recovered from various properties linked to Dasuki. Dasuki’s counsel, A. A. Usman, questioned the legality of the subpoena, arguing that the DSS, as cited, lacked proper legal standing.
EFCC counsel Oladipupo Okpeseyi countered the objection, asserting the DSS is a statutory body and there was no confusion about its identity or the validity of the subpoena. Justice Lifu overruled the objection and admitted the subpoena as evidence, stating it would be included in the final judgment.
He emphasized the case’s decade-long delay and the need for compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, which mandates a speedy trial. The court heard testimony from Monsur Mohammed, a DSS exhibit keeper, who presented items recovered from Dasuki’s residences in Abuja and Sokoto, based on four search warrants executed in July 2015.
However, under cross-examination, Mohammed admitted that none of the recovered items were incriminating. Justice Lifu, acknowledging the prolonged nature of the proceedings, adjourned the case to the assigned dates and ordered the EFCC to close its case within that timeframe.
