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| Abdulrasheed Maina |
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has claimed that the former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, is not a responsible citizen but a fugitive of law.
The agency said he allegedly stole about N3billion pensionersโ fund in what it described as an elaborate grand scam.
The commission said the ex-pension chief will jump bail if granted by the judge.
EFCC said Maina is a citizen of the United States and a naturalised resident of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with an expired Nigerian passport, but that he has always sneaked into Nigeria at night through the borders with Niger in Sokoto and Katsina.
The EFCC stated this in a counter affidavit it filed against the bail application by Maina, who is being tried before a Federal High Court in Abuja on money laundering related charges.
It prayed the court to reject Mainaโs bail request because it took a lot of efforts for security agents to arrest him after fleeing for about seven years.
The EFCC said is granted bail, Maina, with the huge funds at his disposal, would compromise its witnesses, some of whom are his blood relations and family members.
It added: โThe evidence contained in the proof of evidence consisting of four bundles of about 1800 pages, filed in this case, discloses very strong evidence against the 1st defendant/applicant.
โThe total amount involved in the charge before this court and alleged to have been siphoned from pension funds and illegally acquired by the 1st defendant/applicant is about N3billion naira.
โThe EFCC has been involved in the investigation of the 1st defendant/applicant and his cohorts in a grand Pension Scam since 2012 to date.
โThe first defendant/applicant is not a responsible citizen, rather he has been a fugitive of law for seven years until his eventual arrest on 30th September, 2019 when he was arrested following a joint operation of Secret Security Service (DSS).โ
EFCC said owing to the expiration of his passport and deliberate efforts to avoid being apprehended, Maina had always come into Nigeria (during his stay abroad as fugitive) by road, โdubiously sneaking in the middle of the night through Niger Republic and alternating the routes through Katsina/Sokoto borders with Niger Republic.โ
The EFCC, while faulting Mainaโs claim to ill-health, told the court that the offences for which he is being tried do not provide for options of fine or non-custodial sentence with or without plea bargain.
Following a report on alleged ill-health and absence from trial, Justice Okon Abang demanded a fresh medical test for Maina.
The judge directed the Deputy Controller โGeneral (Health and Welfare), Nigeria Correctional Service, Husseina Kori Bah to ensure a re-examination of Maina in order to ascertain his state of health.
He directed that the fresh report should be submitted on or before Thursday.
The order followed a report presented to the court from Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje alleging that Maina cannot withstand trial due to severe headache and dizziness.
The judge will tomorrow rule on whether to admit Maina to bail.
The ex-pension boss was arraigned on October 25 on a 12-count charge of money laundering.
Although his trial was expected to begin in full force yesterday, Maina was absent with a report from Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje claiming that he was ill.
The report was signed by an Assistant Controller of Corrections, Dr. Idowu Ajayi on behalf of the Deputy Controller of Corrections, Kuje Custodial Centre.
The report reads: โI have attended to the above named (Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina) who is currently in Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje.
โHe presented with the history of severe headache, dizziness, vomiting of blood and unsteady gait. He was found to be verily in need of a comprehensive medical evaluation in a tertiary hospital.
โHe is currently on admission in the clinic and he is not fit to appear in court. He will do so as soon as his condition improves.โ
Notwithstanding, the EFCCโs Deputy Chief Legal Officer of the EFCC, M. S. Abubakar insisted that Mainaโs application for bail was ripe for hearing because the anti-graft commission โfiled counter-affidavit on October 30th and is ready to proceed.โ
But a counsel from J.K. Gadzamaโs chambers asked for an adjournment to enable it to consult with Maina on issues raised in the counter-affidavit.
After arguments by the prosecution and defence, Justice Abang fixed Thursday for ruling on the bail application by Maina.
Notwithstanding, in the proof of evidence presented to the court and signed by M. S. Abubakar, the EFCC gave insights into the allegations against Maina.
According to the document, โbetween 2012 and 2016, Maina took possession of N1, 822,074 690 through a Fidelity Bank account in the name of Dr. Abdullahi Faizal.
โThe accused person, between 2014 and 2017 took possession of an aggregate sum of N171, 099,000 paid in cash through the UBA account of Common Input Property and Investment Limited.
โThat Maina (alias Nafisatu Aliyu ) between 2011 and 2014 through a Fidelity Bank account in the name of Nafisatu Aliyu Yeldu had N314, 687, 481 when he reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceed of unlawful activity.
โMaina and Common Input Property and Investment Limited on or about 27th June 2012, without going through financial institution made cash payment of $2,000,000 to one Adamu Modibbo for the purchase of a property situate at Jabi in Abuja.
โThat Abdulrasheed Maina (alias) Dr. Abdullahi Faizal) sometimes in April 2012 without going through financial institution made cash payment to the sum of $1,400,000 only to one Ali Sani for the purchase of a property situate at Life Camp in Abuja.
โMaina (alias Abdullahi Samaila Fatima) and Common Input Property and Investment Limited between 2015 and 2018 conducted financial transactions involving an aggregate sum of $316,588.27.โ
The EFCC claimed that Maina had allegedly procured some members of staff of Fidelity Bank, including one Khalid Biu, who is his younger brother to open a bank account โwithout conducting the requisite customer due diligence.โ
โThe suspect did open an anonymous Account No. 4510002782 (Dr. Abdullahi Faizal) in Fidelity Bank, Central Business District Abuja, by concealing his identity as the true signatory of the account.
โThat Maina, between September and December 2014, did induce members of UBA including one Mairo Mohammed Bashir (his sister-in-law) and a branch manager of the bank to open a bank account in the name of Common Input Property and Investment Limited.โ
The Deputy Chief Legal Officer of the EFCC, M. S. Abubakar said Maina will face trial under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 and Section 7(1) (b) (i) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.
