From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

THE Federal Govern­ment, yesterday, told a Federal High Court sit­ting in Abuja that former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasu­ki (retd) imported a large cache of highly sophisti­cated arms and ammuni­tion that have not been accounted for into the country.

The Federal Govern­ment also claimed that huge ammunition is feared to be in the posses­sion of persons who are sympathetic to Dasuki.

Meanwhile, the federal government has, again, asked the court to pro­tect its witnesses lined up to testify against Da­suki in criminal charges of unlawful possession of firearms and money laun­dering.

Although the court had rejected a similar appli­cation, government, in a fresh motion, yester­day, asked for an order to shield identities of the witnesses.

It also asked that the record of proceedings should not be made pub­lic.

Moving the motion, federal government’s counsel, Oladipo Opeseyi applied for an order to permit the witnesses to be addressed with pseu­do names in the course of giving evidence.

Government root­ed the request on the grounds that Dasuki, as former NSA, also a re­tired senior military of­ficer and prince of the Sokoto Caliphate, com­mands large followership in the country who may be aggrieved by his trial.

The government also claimed that most of the witnesses are security personnel and have ex­pressed fears of being identified by the public who may be sympathetic to Dasuki.

Government also said security of its witnesses will be blown if they are made to testify publicly without protection.

In a five paragraph af­fidavit deposed to by one Emmanuel Ikpebe, in support of the motion, government averred that Dasuki served in the in­telligence unit of the Army and that a large quantity of ammunition were found in his house when searched, in addi­tion to various foreign currencies whose sourc­es he could not explain.

The motion, therefore, prayed the court to hold that special circumstanc­es have been constituted to grant the request.

However, counsel to Dasuki, Joseph Daodu, told Justice Adeniyi Ade­mola that he has just been served with the mo­tion that he needed time to respond.

Justice Ademola sub­sequently adjourned hearing of the motion till June 23 and 24.