Fresh twists emerged on Friday in the high-profile trial involving former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), as co-defendant Aminu Baba Kusa admitted before a Federal Capital Territory High Court that he personally wrote and signed his statement while in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Kusa, a former Group Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), made the admission during a tense cross-examination before Justice Charles O. Agbaza in Abuja.
The development came during a trial-within-trial, a special legal proceeding convened to determine whether Kusa’s extrajudicial statement should be admitted as evidence after he alleged that it was obtained under duress.
Under questioning by prosecuting counsel, O.A. Atolagbe, Kusa acknowledged that he read and understood the cautionary words presented to him before writing the statement. He further confirmed that he voluntarily appended his signature to the document.
The defendant also admitted that the statement was written after EFCC operatives conducted a search of his residence and that the contents of the statement were based entirely on the findings of that search.
In a dramatic challenge to Kusa’s claim that he spent 30 days in EFCC custody between November and December 2015, the prosecution presented evidence showing that he had appeared before Justice Baba Yusuf on multiple dates during the period and was granted bail after fulfilling the required conditions.
The courtroom exchanges marked a crucial stage in the legal battle over the admissibility of evidence in one of Nigeria’s most closely watched corruption cases.
Justice Agbaza subsequently adjourned proceedings until July 3, 2026, for the continuation of the sub-trial.
Dasuki, Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited, and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited are currently facing prosecution by the EFCC on a 32-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust and dishonesty involving ₦33.2 billion.
The outcome of the trial-within-trial is expected to play a significant role in determining the direction of the broader case, which has remained in the public spotlight for years due to its scale and political significance.
, as){kind=link}