Tunde Oyesina 
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday ordered the remand of former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Abulrasheed Maina, in prison custody, till the conclusion of his trial. Maina is standing trial on a 12-count money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), preferred against him and his firm, Common Input Properties and Investment Limited.
Maina was arrested about 24 hours ago, at Niger Republic and extradited back to the country by the Interpol. Maina, who had fled the country after he jumped bail, had since September 29, refused to appear before the court for continuation of his trial. Due to his disappearance, the court, on November 18, is-sued a warrant for his arrest, even as it revoked his bail and ordered his trial in absentia.
Though the court initially remanded his surety, Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, in custody, he was later released on bail after he had spent five days in prison. Meanwhile, following Maina’s arrest by the Interpol, the EFCC yesterday, produced him in court.
The Prosecution counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, applied that he should be remanded in prison custody since the court had revoked his bail. The prosecution made the application shortly after the team of lawyers that earlier represented the Defendant, led by Chief J. K. Gadazama (SAN), secured the nod of the court to withdraw from the case.
A lawyer in the team, Francis Oronsaye, based the decision to withdraw from the matter on Maina’s conduct, which he said brought embarrassment to their Chambers Meanwhile, a new lawyer, Adaji Abel, told the court that Maina briefed him yesterday to take over his defence. Abel pleaded the court for a short adjournment to enable him to properly appraise the case-file. The adjournment request was opposed by the prosecution counsel who relied on section 349 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, and urged the court to allow the trial to allow the ninth witness, Mrs. Rouquayya lbrahim, to continue her Evidence-in-Chief.
However, in his ruling, trial judge, Justice Okon Abang said he was inclined to accommodate Maina’s new lawyer, “in the overall interest of justice”, by granting him a short date. The court, however, ordered the remand of the 1st Defendant at Kuje Correctional Centre. Justice Abang held that: “The Defendant is already on bench warrant having jumped bail and his bail having been revoked. So he shall be remanded in correctional centre, pending the conclusion of the trial.”
The case was subsequently adjourned to December 8 for continuation of hearing. In a related development, the court, yesterday, fixed December 11 for the EFCC to adopt its final written address in a separate money laundering charge pending against Maina’s son, Faisal.
Faisal, who is facing a 3-count, equally jumped bail like his father. Justice Abang has slated December 8 to conduct committal proceeding against his surety, Umar Dan Galadima, who is a member of the House of Representatives for Kaura Namoda Federal Constituency. The court had ordered the surety to show cause why he should not be remanded in custody or made to forfeit the N60 million bail bond he entered on behalf of the Defendant, to the Federal Government.
