The first prosecution witness (PW1), Dr. Michael Adariku, on Wednesday, the 14th of January, 2026, continued his testimony in the ongoing trial of a former National Security Adviser, retired Colonel Sambo Dasuki, and four other defendants before Justice C.O. Agbaza at the FCT High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja.
While continuing his evidence-in-chief, the witness gave a detailed account of how funds were allegedly transferred from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to various private individuals and corporate entities.
Dr. Adariku, who is an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), testified under the guidance of prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN. He informed the court that monies originating from ONSA were paid into the United Bank of Africa (UBA) account of Acacia Holdings Limited, bearing account number 1017330319.
According to his analysis of the account, several transactions were traced to different beneficiaries.
“From our analysis of Acacia Holdings Limited UBA account number 1017330319, we discovered that on May 15, 2015, there was a transfer of N119, 687.50 (One Hundred and Nineteen Thousand Six Hundred and Eighty Seven Naira Fifty Kobo) to IBB Golf Club and three payments of various amounts to Abuja Geographic Information Systems, AGIS for ground rent.”
He further told the court that on the 28th of May, 2015, N800,000 was transferred to Aravcaria Farms Ltd. In addition, a sum of N2,500,000 was paid to Mohammed Zaharadeen Baba Kusa, identified as the son of the second defendant, Aminu Baba Kusa, a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The witness also revealed that substantial sums, including N600 million and another N200 million, were paid into Acacia Holdings Limited’s UBA account. He added that N750 million was transferred to the First Bank account of Reliance Referral Hospital Limited, while N650 million was lodged into Acacia Holdings Limited’s Ecobank account.
According to him, the cumulative amount of these transfers stood at N2.2 billion.
Dr. Adariku explained that the funds formed part of a N5 billion transfer made in April 2015 from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Signature Bonus account number 00000040022524 to the ONSA account number 1014199287 domiciled with Zenith Bank.
He told the court that the money was released by the CBN to enable the National Security Adviser provide security during the 2015 gubernatorial and state Houses of Assembly elections.
However, the witness stated that investigations showed the funds were not deployed for that purpose.
“From investigation, the money was never used for the purpose for which it was intended, rather the money was wired to various individuals and companies of personal interest and businesses of the second defendant.”
READ ALSO: Dangote Takes Former NMDPRA Boss to EFCC Over Alleged Corruption
Continuing his testimony, Dr. Adariku said intelligence reports prompted the EFCC to write to the CBN to trace the origin of funds paid into Acacia Holdings Limited’s Ecobank account. He said the response revealed that the transfer documents were accompanied by a payment mandate from ONSA, bearing the signatures of the first defendant, the former NSA, and S.A. Salisu, Director of Finance and Administration.
The documents were subsequently tendered in court and admitted as Exhibits F and G1 to G20.
The witness also explained the nature of Exhibit F before the court.
“These three payments are part of the N5 billion that came from CBN to the Zenith Bank account of ONSA for the purpose of providing security for gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections,” he said.