An Abuja High Court on Tuesday adjourned the trial of former National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, to 21 October to allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to list a witness to testify in the case.

Dasuki faces an amended 32-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, dishonest release, and receipt of funds totalling ₦33.2 billion.

He is accused of misappropriating security funds held by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), alongside a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa, and two companies — Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited.

The EFCC re-arraigned the four defendants on 25 March, alleging that Dasuki released the equivalent of ₦10 billion in foreign currencies from the NSA’s account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to fund the 2014 presidential primary election of the then-ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, filed as FCT/HC/CR/43/2015.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, prosecution witness Adariku Michael, a detective with the EFCC, told the court that the commission received intelligence on 21 September 2015 regarding alleged abuse of office and money laundering by the defendants.

He said the case was assigned to a special taskforce team led by ACE I Halimah Kazeem, of which he was a member.

“I became involved in this case when the EFCC received intelligence on 21 September 2015 about abuse of office and money laundering,” Michael testified. “The special taskforce promptly wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria to initiate investigation activities.”

However, counsel to Baba-Kusa, Solomon Umoh (SAN), objected, arguing that the witness was not listed among those disclosed by the prosecution as required under Section 379 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

Prosecution counsel Oluwaleke Atolagbe responded that the witness had previously testified before the Chief Judge in the same case, through whom several documents were admitted as exhibits.

“This case has lasted almost ten years,” Atolagbe said, seeking an adjournment to allow the prosecution to regularise its witness list.

The defence did not oppose the request, prompting the presiding judge, Justice Charles Agbaza, to adjourn proceedings until 31 October for continuation of hearing.