Dasuki Refused To Attend His Father’s Burial -FG

The federal government on Tuesday disclosed that it offered the embattled former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), an opportunity to attend the burial of his father, the 18th Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki who died on Monday, but the former NSA vehemently rejected the offer for his temporary release.

However, it has emerged that Sambo Dasuki turned down the offer to avoid the ordeal of arriving Sokoto with a retinue of DSS operatives who would have been detailed to accompany him and take him back into custody.

Speaking with journalists shortly after paying a condolence visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III in Sokoto, Dambuzau said the former NSA was given the opportunity to see his ailing father at a hospital in Abuja on Monday, but vehemently rejected the offer.

He also explained that the former NSA opted to pray for his late father while in detention.

However, THISDAY reports that lawyers to the Dasuki family confirmed that the former NSA had indeed rejected the offer because he considers his continued detention by the DSS as unlawful and did not want the temporary release offered by the DSS to attend his father’s burial with DSS operatives in tow.

 “The former Sultan had arrived Abuja from London and sought permission to see his son, but the request was turned down.

“Even a Koran he had bought for his son could not be given to Sambo because he could not see him.

“Similarly, about a week ago, he was asked by the DSS if he would want to go and see his father who was lying critically ill and possibly slipping away at an Abuja hospital, but Sambo rejected the offer on the grounds that his father’s condition was critical and was in a state where communication was no longer possible, and therefore there was no reason to go to the hospital to see him.

“Sambo also maintained that he was not guilty of any of the charges brought against him by the federal government and there were three court rulings ordering that he should be released by the DSS but they had all been disobeyed.

“It was for this same reason, coupled with the fact that it would have been too painful for him to arrive Sokoto heavily guarded by DSS operatives, that informed the former NSA’s decision not to attend his father’s funeral today (yesterday),” said the lawyers.

Speaking on the former NSA’s absence at his father’s burial yesterday, Dambazau said: “As Minister of Interior, I discussed the issue with the Director General of DSS, Lawal Daura, on the need to allow the former NSA to see his father in the hospital Monday night, but when he was given the offer he rejected it.

“As the first son of the deceased, he was also offered the opportunity to attend his father’s funeral in Sokoto and even stay with his siblings and relatives throughout the mourning period but he refused.

“In fact, he opted to pray for his father while in detention. So, this is the true situation.”

He disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari mandated him and six other ministers to commiserate with the Sultanate Council and the people of Sokoto over the death of Sultan Dasuki.