Court Orders Senator Ndume To Be Remanded In Jail After Failing To Produce Maina

Senator Ali Ndume Abdulrasheed Maina

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. Maina has repeatedly failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial.

Justice Okon Abang ordered Ndume’s remand while ruling on an oral application made to the effect by lawyer to the prosecution in the ongoing money laundering trial of Maina and a firm – Common Input Property and Investment Limited.

They were first arraigned on October 25, 2019 following which he was admitted to conditional bail at N1b on November 26, 2019.

In undertaking to stand as Maina’s surety, Ndume pledged to ensure that Maina (the first defendant) participate in the trial until judgment, failing which he (the surety) would forfeit the N500 million bail bond, which he secured with a property in Asokoro, Abuja believed to worth that amount.

Maina was released from custody on July 24, 2020. He attended court on few occasions and stopped from September 29, 2020 with his lawyer, Francis Oronsaye claiming client was ill but could not account for his whereabouts.

The case came up again on September 30 and October 2, with Maina dodging the court. When it again came up on October 19, Ndume, who was always present, told the court that he had become helpless because he could not locate Maina.

He prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for Maina’s arrest to enable relevant security agencies intervene in apprehending the 1st defendant, who he said he believed had jumped bail.

Justice Abang ordered that Ndume could only be released if he either provides evidence of payment of the N500milion bail bond into the Federation Account or there is evidence that the Federal Government has sold the property he pledged, located at Asokoro in Abuja and the N500m bond is paid into FG account from the proceed of the sale; or that he is able to produce Maina before the court.