The Court of Appeal in Abuja has set aside the indictments delivered against the National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki, in a judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja which convicted and sentenced a former spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, for money laundering.

A three-man panel led by Justice Stephen Adah held in a unanimous judgment delivered, on Wednesday, that the Federal High Court made damaging comments against Dasuki without giving him a fair hearing.

Justice Adah held that, Dasuki not being charged as a co-defendant in the case or given any opportunity to defend himself, the comments made against Dasuki were unwarranted.

The panel had in an earlier judgment on Wednesday set aside Metuh’s conviction on the grounds of bias shown by the trial judge Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court.

It, therefore, ordered that the trial be conducted afresh.

Justice Abang directed that the case file be sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge other than Justice Abang.

Justice Abang had in his judgment delivered on February 25, 2020, sentenced Metuh to seven years’ imprisonment for fraudulently receiving N400m from the Office of the National Security Adviser then being headed by Col Sambo Dasuki.

Details later…

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