The Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed March 1 for ruling on an application for witnesses protection by the Federal Government in the ongoing trial of former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki.

In the application dated January 23, counsel to the Federal Government, Dipo Okpeseyi prayed the court to allow the witnesses use acronyms instead of their real names.

He said the identity of the witnesses should be limited to the court while they should be known by acronyms such as “xyz” to the public.

Okpeseyi said he understands that the defence counsel would not object to the application.

However, lead defense counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), served him with a counter-motion objecting to the application for protection of witnesses.

Okpeseyi prayed the court for a short adjournment to study the counter-motion.

Raji said that he was not opposing the application for an adjournment.

He said, “The motion was brought to us late on Thursday and we prepared our counter-affidavit and served on them only this morning, so we will not object to the adjournment sought by Okpeseyi to enable him respond.”

Justice Ahmed Mohammed adjourned the matter till March 1 for hearing.

Dasuki is facing charges of unlawful possession of arms preferred against him by the Department of State Security.

Azeez