Court Remands Extradited Maina In Custody Till End Of Trial
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, ordered that the embattled former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Mr. Abulrasheed Maina, be taken into custody till end of trial.
Maina, who was extradited from Niger Republic to Nigeria on Thursday by the INTERPOL, is facing a 12-count charges on alleged money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Maina had jumped bail since September 29, 2020 and refused to appear for the continuation of his trial, a development that led one of his sureties, Senator Ali Ndume to have been sent to custody.
The EFCC through its lawyer, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, urged the Court presided over by Justice Okon Abang to remand Maina in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, saying that Maina’s re-appearance was sequel to a bench warrant that was issued against him on November 18.
Mohammed said; “We apply for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody pending his trial, his earlier bail having been revoked”.
Maina’s new lawyer, Mr Adaji Abel, who told the Court that he was only briefed on Friday, opposed the application, even as he prayed the court for a short adjournment.
However, in his ruling, Justice Abang declared that he was inclined to accommodate the new lawyer in the overall interest of justice.
Justice Abang however ruled that Maina should be remanded in custody since the bail that was earlier granted him was revoked on November 18, 2020 and subsequently adjourned the case to December 8, for continuation of hearing.
