EFCC lawyer accuses Maina of plotting his assassination

TRACKING_____Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mohammed Abubakar, on Wednesday alleged that the ex-Chairman, defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, planned to assassinate him in the ongoing trial.

Abubakar also alleged that Maina plotted to assassinate the EFCC witnesses and officials of Nigerian Correctional Services to escape from custody.

He made the accusation before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in a motion on notice seeking the revocation of Maina’s bail.

Giving the grounds why Maina’s bail should be cancelled, Abubakar argued that the “first defendant/respondent who was granted bail by the court since November 26, 2019 (though still in custody) has perfected plans to assassinate prosecution witnesses and counsel in this matter.

‘That the first defendant/respondent has perfected plans to escape from custody and abscond, and in the process assassinate Nigerian Correctional Service officials attached to him.”

Justice Abang had on January 28, varied Miana’s bail conditions, following his inability to meet the bail terms granted him on November 26, 2019.

Maina, who had pleaded with the court to further vary the already varied bail terms, insisted that he has been unable to get a senator to stand as surety for his release.

Responding to his plea, Abubakar told the court that there was the need to protect witnesses, counsel and officers by keeping the first defendant/respondent in custody during the pendency of the criminal matter as well as provide additional/ maximum security around him while in custody pending the conclusion of trial.

He reminded the court that when the first defendant/respondent was arrested preparatory to his arraignment, his son who was with him was found to be in illegal possession of firearm and the son, Faisal, physically attacked the security officers arresting his father to resist the arrest or free his father.

However, counsel to Maina, Joe Gadzama (SAN) prayed for a brief adjournment to enable him respond to the prosecution’s objection and 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 is convenient for the court to take the application seeking to further vary 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.