Tobias Sylvester
The Chairman, Senate Committee on the Army, Senator Ali Ndume, has said he will longer stand as surety for the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Force Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, because he is untrustworthy.
KanyiDaily recalls that Ndume had stood surety for Maina who is being prosecuted by the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged money laundering to the tune of N2 billion.
However, after he was granted bail on July 27, 2020, the ex-pension boss jumped bail, went into hiding in Sepatember and subsequently left the country.
He was said to have stopped attending his trial since September 29, 2020, forcing the trial judge, Justice Abang Okon, to order the remand of his surety, Senator Ali Ndume penultimate last Monday.
The court, however, granted bail to the Borno South Senator, last Friday, based on his record of good behaviour before the court, notwithstanding that the other grounds of his bail application failed.
Maina was on Thursday extradited back to the country to face trial after he was arrested in Niger Republic by men of the Nigeria Police Force and other security operatives.
Reacting to the development while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, Ndume commended the Police and other security personnel that were involved in the arrest and extradition of Maina.
The Borno Senator said he will instruct his lawyers to commence the process of withdrawing his suretyship of Maina with immediate effect because his action has shown that he is not trustworthy.
“I commend the Nigeria Police Force for executing the bench warrant issued on Maina by the Federal High Court in Abuja,” he said.
“This has shown that the NPF is not a write off. They are professionals under the able leadership of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
“With the successful arrest, extradition and subsequent remand of Maina at the Kuje Correctional Centre, I will proceed to direct my legal team to begin the process of withdrawing my suretiship for Maina with immediate effect because his action has shown that he is not trustworthy.”
KanyiDaily recalls that the court had also warned a lawmaker that he risks jail time if he is unable to produce Maina’s son, Faisal Abdulrasheed, who is also being prosecuted on a three-count of money laundering and false declaration of assets.
