FG Reaches out to Niger Republic, US in Search for Maina

CourtrulestodayasEFCCopposes Ndume’sbail

The federal government has reached out to Niger Republic and the United States of America in its efforts to execute the arrest warrant issued by a court in Abuja against an ex-Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, who is believed to have jumped bail.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed this in the counteraffidavit it filed against the bail application filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume.

The court, before which Maina is being tried for money laundering had, on November 18 this year revoked the bail granted him and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

“The prosecution has obtained the bench warrant and it 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,” the EFCC said in the counter-affidavit.

The commission urged the court to reject the bail application but Ndume, arguing that it was a ploy for him to evade the consequences of serving as a surety for a fleeing defendant and avoid meeting the condition set by the court for his release.

The court, on November 23 ordered that Ndume, who stood surety for Maina, be remanded in prison pending when he is either able to produce the defendant or forfeit the N500million bail bond he signed, having failed to account for Maina’s whereabouts.

Arguing the counter affidavit yesterday, shortly after Ndume’s lawyer, Mr. Marcel Oru moved the bail application, the prosecuting lawyer, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar argued that since Ndume has appealed the order for his remand, adding that he should await the decision of the Court of Appeal.