EFCC Produces Maina In Court After He Jumped Bail And Fled To Republic Of Niger

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has produced a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Abulrasheed Maina, for Friday’s proceedings of his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Maina, who is being prosecuted by the EFCC on N2bn money laundering charges, had jumped bail and fled to Republic of Niger.

He was extradited to Nigeria on Thursday about two weeks after the court revoked his bail, ordered his arrest, and directed that his trial would proceed in his absence pending when security agencies would be able to apprehend him.

He was produced in court at about 8.27 am ahead of the proceedings scheduled to commence by 9 am on Friday.

He sat in between two EFCC operatives in the courtroom.

Maina last attended court in July and has subsequently missed up to six court sessions since September 29.

His trial has since proceeded in his absence following the court’s order of November 18, 2020, which the judge, Justice Okon Abang, issued following the defendant’s repeated absence from court.

Unable to produce the defendant, his surety, Senator Ali Ndume, was imprisoned by the court but later granted bail after spending five days in detention.

Details later….