ECOWAS court orders release of Dasuki

The ECOWAS Court has ordered the immediate release former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, currently facing trial over misapplication of $2.1 billion arms purchase money.
He has been in detention since December 2015 as fresh allegations on the money emerges and also standing trial for illegal possession of arms.
The ECOWAS court held on Tuesday in Abuja that the detention of Dasuki violated both national and international laws on the right of persons and citizens to freedom of liberty.
In a judgment delivered by Justice Chijioike Nwoke, the ECOWAS Court imposed a fine of N15 million fine against Nigeria as compensatory damages to Dasuki for the deprivation of his freedom to liberty and the deprivation of his properties.
The court dismissed the allegations of unlawful possession of firearms and economic crimes allegedly committed by Dasuki adding that the Nigeria government missed the track because the applicant applied before the court for the enforcement of his breached and contravention of fundamental right.
Justice Nwoke said that even if the applicant had committed a crime the law still has it that due process of the law must be observed in his trial adding that it is an established fact that the applicant was put on trial in three different Nigeria High Courts and was granted bails by the courts.
The court said that the action of the Nigerian government in subjecting the Ex-NSA into the detention without trial is condemnable because criminality has not been established against him.(NAN)