After a thorough investigation, a former staff member of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dr. Michael Adariku, has disclosed that a former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd) spent N33.2 billion meant for arms procurement, which was allegedly diverted to the purchase of vast parcels of land, foreign transfers and payments to private companies and individuals.
Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, Adariku, an investigator with the anti-graft agency, told the court that on April 17, 2015, the sum of N600 million was transferred from ONSA’s Zenith Bank account (No. 1014199287) to Acacia Holdings Limited’s account with the United Bank for Africa (UBA).
Proceedings resumed on Tuesday before Justice C.O. Agbaza of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja, with the first prosecution witness narrating how funds were moved from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to private beneficiaries.
He said that before the transfer, the balance in Acacia Holdings’ account stood at just N27,094.49.
According to the witness, on April 23, 2015, another N60 million was transferred to Hidayatul Atfaaf Islamic Academy. During EFCC investigations, the proprietor of the academy, Mohammed Bashir, confirmed that the money was a part-payment for the purchase of 3.62 hectares of land in Kyami District, opposite Centenary City along Airport Road, Abuja.
The land, Adariku said, was acquired by the second defendant, Aminu Baba Kusa, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), at a total cost of N120 million.
On the same date, N25 million was transferred in three tranches—N10 million, N10 million and N5 million—to Zavati Bureau De Change (BDC) Limited, owned by Abdulrahman Aliu.
The witness stated that EFCC investigations revealed that the payment was a partial payment for a property known as Hospitality Property Limited, valued at N40 million, with an outstanding balance of N15 million, which was later paid through Ibrahim Saleh Uba, identified as an agent and business facilitator to the second defendant.
Adariku further told the court that on April 24, 2015, transfers totalling N124 million were made from the ONSA account without any clear narration indicating their purpose.
He said transactions on April 27, 2015, included a payment of N600,157 to the FCT administration for land-related fees, and N8.1 million paid to Ibrahim Saleh Uba as survey fees for beacon processing on lands allegedly purchased by the second defendant in Kwali, Wasa District, Kyami District and the Central Area of Abuja.
Also on that date, N50 million was transferred in five tranches of N10 million each to Squad Developers Nigeria Limited, owned by Sunday Gugu. According to the witness, Gugu later told EFCC investigators that the money was a part-payment for 118.2132 hectares of land at Stadium Layout, Kwali, FCT, bought by the second defendant for N75 million. The balance of N25 million, he said, was also paid through Uba.
On April 28, 2015, the witness disclosed that a total of N55.9 million was transferred in six tranches to Fastman Investment Limited on the instruction of the second defendant.
Adariku said the Chief Executive Officer of Fastman Holding Group, Farouk Suleiman, confirmed during an EFCC interview that he was contacted by the second defendant through a staff member of Heritage Bank identified as George, to facilitate the transfer of $1 million to a client in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Suleiman Al-Abib of Medical Practice Services.
According to him, only $630,000 was eventually transferred to Al-Abib, with Reliance Referral Hospital Limited (RRHL) making transfers to Fastman Investment Limited to complete the naira equivalent of the dollar transaction.
The witness further listed other transactions from the ONSA account, including N4.8 million and N29.1 million transferred to one O.A. Akinrimade on April 30, 2015, and N70 million paid in two tranches of N10 million and N60 million to Medical Practice Limited, a company owned by the wife of the second defendant, Hauwa, who reportedly holds 1.8 million shares in the firm.
He added that on May 4, 2015, another N80 million was transferred to Medical Practice Limited, bringing the total amount paid to the company between April 1 and May 6, 2015, to N150 million.
On May 15, 2015, Adariku said N23.6 million was transferred in three tranches—two of N10 million and one of N3.6 million—to Namuduka Ventures Limited, owned by Murtala Bashir. EFCC investigations, he said, revealed that the funds were converted to $200,000 and transferred to Blue Lake Management Consultancy Limited, an account linked to the second defendant in the United Kingdom.
The witness also testified that additional transfers amounting to N56 million from Medical Practice Limited, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited to Namuduka Ventures Limited were converted to €233,944 and transferred to the second defendant’s Furnishing Touches cash-card account in the UK.
He further disclosed that on May 13, 2015, N23 million was converted to €65,075 and transferred to the defendant’s Furnishing Touches clearing account in the UK, while another N2.2 million from Reliance Referral Hospital Limited was converted to €1,500 and transferred to the defendant’s Business Free MT account, also in the UK.
After listening to the witness, Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter to January 14, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
Dasuki was re-arraigned by the EFCC on March 25, 2025, alongside Aminu Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited, before the FCT High Court, Abuja. The defendants are standing trial on a 32-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and dishonest diversion of public funds totalling N33.2 billion.
