US, Niger Republic to Help Nigeria Hunt for Maina
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria has sought the assistance of the governments of the United States of America as well as that of neighbouring Niger Republic to find the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, who has jumped bail in his N2bn money laundering trial.
This was contained in EFCC’s counter-affidavit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja to oppose the bail application of the Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, who has been detained in prison since Monday being Maina’s surety.
The EFCC stated that it was making frantic efforts to get Maina arrested based on the warrant issued by the court on November 18, and had enlisted the support of other security agencies and foreign governments to that effect.
The counter-affidavit read in part “That to the misleading deposition in paragraph 4(xxii) of the supporting affidavit, I know as a fact that the prosecution has obtained the bench warrant and is making frantic efforts to execute it, while enlisting the support of other security agencies in the country as well as some foreign governments, particularly the Republic of Niger and the United States of America.”
Justice Okon Abang adjourned for ruling after Ndume’s lawyer, Marcel Oru, argued the bail application, which was opposed by the EFCC lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar.
On November 18, 2020, Justice Abang ruled that Maina had jumped bail, having been absent from trial on four previous occasions since September 29, 2020, thereby revoking the bail granted him, ordering his arrest and directing that his trial should proceed in absentia.
The judge on Monday remanded Ndume in prison until he produces Maina or pays the N500m bail bond to the federation account.
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