Pension fraud: Court refuses to grant Abdurasheed Maina bail

“He has disappointed the court,” the judge ruled.

News Agency of Nigeria • February 25, 2021

Abdulrasheed Maina

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.

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