Alleged N33.2bn Arms Fraud: Witness Traces ONSA Funds to Private Accounts

The First Prosecution Witness (PW1), Dr. Michael Adariku, on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, continued his testimony in the trial of a former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), and four others before Justice C.O. Agbaza of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja, detailing how funds were allegedly diverted from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to private individuals and companies.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Adariku, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told the court that investigations revealed that funds from ONSA were paid into a United Bank of Africa (UBA) account belonging to Acacia Holdings Limited.

According to him, analysis of Acacia Holdings’ UBA account showed multiple transactions, including payments to IBB Golf Club and Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) for ground rent, as well as transfers to Aravcaria Farms Limited and Mohammed Zaharadeen Baba Kusa, son of the second defendant, Aminu Baba Kusa.

The witness further disclosed that N600 million and N200 million were transferred into Acacia Holdings’ UBA account, while N650 million was paid into its Ecobank account and N750 million into Reliance Referral Hospital Limited’s First Bank account, bringing the total traced sum to N2.2 billion. He explained that the funds originated from a N5 billion transfer by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the ONSA account in April 2015, purportedly meant to provide security for the 2015 gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections.

Adariku told the court that investigations showed the funds were not used for the stated security purpose but were instead transferred to individuals and companies linked to the second defendant.

He also testified that documents obtained from the CBN showed that the transfers were backed by payment mandates from ONSA, signed by the former NSA and the Director of Finance and Administration, S.A. Salisu. The documents were tendered and admitted as exhibits.

Further analysis of Acacia Holdings’ Ecobank statement, the witness said, revealed several transfers to the second defendant and other individuals, including payments linked to the purchase of large parcels of land in Abuja.

Adariku added that during the investigation, the EFCC invited the first and second defendants. While the second defendant honoured the invitation and made a voluntary statement in the presence of his lawyer, its admissibility was challenged by defence counsel, leading the court to order a trial-within-trial.

Justice Agbaza adjourned the matter to February 24 and 25, 2026, for continuation of proceedings.

Dasuki, alongside Aminu Baba Kusa, Acacia Holdings Limited and Reliance Referral Hospital Limited, is standing trial on a 32-count charge of alleged breach of trust and dishonest misappropriation of N33.2 billion, following his re-arraignment by the EFCC on March 25, 2025.