The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alleged that a former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, planned to assassinate prosecution lawyers in the ongoing trial.
The EFCC lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, who made the allegation, also alleged that Mr Maina plotted to assassinate the EFCC witnesses and officials of Nigerian Correctional Services to escape from custody.
EFCC stated this in a Motion on Notice dated March 3, seeking the revocation of Maina’s bail.
Giving the grounds on why Mr Maina’s bail should be cancelled, Mr Abubakar said that the first defendant/respondent who was granted bail by the court since 26th November 2019 (though still in custody) has perfected plans to assassinate prosecution witnesses and counsel in this matter and in the process assassinate Nigerian Correctional Service officials attached to him.
Justice Abang had, on Jan. 28, varied Miana’s bail conditions, following his inability to meet the bail terms granted him on Nov. 26, 2019.
Maina, who had pleaded with the court to further vary the already varied bail terms, insisted that he had been unable to get a senator to stand as surety for his release.
However, Joe Gadzama, SAN, counsel to Maina, prayed for a brief adjournment, to enable him to respond to the prosecution’s objection.
He also prayed the court to hear the two applications together on the announcement date.
However, Abubakar insisted that his application was ripe for hearing since it was listed for the day.
Justice Abang, in his ruling, said that it was convenient for the court to take the application seeking to vary further the bail conditions and the application seeking to revoke the bail together since they were related to the liberty of Maina, who was still in detention.
He adjourned until March 16 to take the arguments of the parties in the suit.
