Pension fraud: Court refuses to grant Abdurasheed Maina bail
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, refused to grant bail to Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Taskforce Team (PRTT).
Delivering a ruling, Justice Okon Abang held that Mr. Maina’s application for bail lacked merit.
Mr. Abang said though it was at the court’s discretion to grant bail, the ex-pension boss did not deserve bail after jumping the first bail.
The judge added that Mr. Maina did not place sufficient materials before the court to convince it that he deserves the second bail.
He said the medical report brought from the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital showed that Maina was not under any medical emergency.
The judge noted that Mr. Maina was not only a flight risk but a proving risk, having fled to the Republic of Niger and Chad in violation of the court order.
“He has disappointed the court,” the judge ruled.
Mr. Abang, who refused to grant Mr. Maina’s application for an order directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release his confiscated property, including a BMW car, also dismissed his request for an order to set aside the November 18 and December 4, 2020 orders.
On November 18, 2020, the court ordered the trial of Mr. Maina in absentia after he jumped bail.
On December 4, 2020, the court ordered Maina to be remanded in prison custody pending the hearing and final determination of his matter.
But Mr. Maina, who jumped bail last year and fled to Niger before his rearrest, had applied for another bail on December 24, 2020.
Mr. Maina, through his lawyer, Anayo Adibe, on January 20, approached Mr. Abang in a motion on notice.
He argued that the application became necessary over his worsening health condition.
In the motion, the ex-pension boss told the court that he had reasonable and responsible sureties who were willing to act as sureties if granted bail.
Debunking the argument that he had jumped bail, Mr. Maina said he fled to Niger to have knee surgery.
According to him, if the knee surgery had not been done, his leg would have been amputated.
More from Peoples Gazette
Health
People with Blood Group “O’’ may have a lower risk of contracting COVID-19: Expert
“Many Africans have blood Group O. This may explain why the severity of COVID-19 infections is low in Nigeria.”
Port Harcourt
Nigeria is a failed state, nothing works anymore: Edwin Clark
The Niger-Delta leader maintained that the Nigeria 1999 constitution is operating under a scam.
Port Harcourt
Fresh fire outbreak destroys properties worth millions in Rivers
A resident in Marine Base said the market gets burnt yearly, especially in December, but there was no fire last December.
Lagos
Driver who knocked down policeman in viral video arrested
“The driver resisted arrest and while trying to escape, knocked down a police inspector from the bridge who fell into a canal,” Mr. Adejobi said.
Politics
APC tackles Delta govt over concession of ‘N40bn’ Asaba Int’l Airport for N4bn
The party challenged the State Government to put in the public domain all that transpired about the concession of the airport.
Anti-Corruption
I didn’t know how $242m got into my account, Brazilian bank scammer Nwude tells court
Mr. Nwude had convinced a Brazilian bank director, Nelson Sakaguchi, to buy a yet-to-be-built airport in Abuja for $242 million, EFCC said.
