A Federal High Court has ordered Senator Ali Ndume to be remanded at Kuje at Kuje Correctional Centre for failing to produce the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.
Ndume stood, who is representing Borno south, as surety for Maina’s bail, who is standing trial on alleged money laundering charges.
Justice Okon Abang on Monday ordered that Ndume be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre over the trial until the forfeiture of the N500 million bail bond he deposited for Maina to the Federal Government.
Before issuing order for his arrest, Justice Abang revoked the N500 million bail he granted Maina on the grounds that the bail had been abused persistently by his absence in court.
Justice Abang also gave Maina’s surety, Senator Ali Ndume till November 23 to show cause why he should not forfeit the N500m bond he deposited for Maina’s bail to the federal government.
Ndume, representing Borno South Federal Constituency, had in October informed the court that he only accepted to serve as surety to Maina after the court ordered him to produce a serving Senator who must be present in court on each day of the proceedings because Maina’s wife, mother and uncle approached him being his representative in the Senate.
However, Maina has repeatedly failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial. Ali Ndume was during the 8th assembly, the Senate Majority leader after the 2016 elections and impeached by the APC Senators on 10 January 2017.
Senator Ndume on 11 June 2019, loses bid to become Senate President of the 9th Senate. He contested against Senator Ahmed Lawan who emerged Winner and has been an outspoken member of the Nigerian Parliament.
NewsWireNGR had last week reported that, Justice Okon Abang revoked bail of former chairman pension reform task team Abudlrasheed Maina.
Mr Maina is facing a 12 count charge of allegedly diverting N100 billion of pension funds, operating fictitious accounts and carrying out other fraudulent activities, Justice Abang orders that security agencies should arrest him, while his trial resumes in his absence.
Maina is standing trial before the Abuja division of the Federal High court over allegations of fraud, abuse of public office and money laundering amounting to N2billion.
The prosecution agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleged that Maina abused his position as Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team by awarding fictitious contracts for purported biometric enrollment of pensioners, an offense that is punishable under Section 317(read in conjunction with section 316) of the Penal Code Act, Cap532, vol. 4, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, 2007.
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