The Senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume who stood surety for the Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court for his inability to produce Maina who has been absent from all court proceedings.
Ndume’s incarceration was made known in a ruling by trial justice, Okon Abang. The defendant Abdulrasheed Maina is being prosecuted on a 12-count money laundering charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to Justice Abang, the court had on 4 separate dates given Ndume the opportunity to state why he shouldn’t be remanded in custody or made to forfeit the bail sum of N500million for Maina to the Federal Government owing to the continued absence of the defendant.
Abang said that Ndume had on November 18th pleaded for an adjournment to enable him file necessary processes to defend himself but he failed to do so instead, he wrote a letter to the deputy chief registrar of the court requesting for 7 documents that included the entire record of proceedings in the matter.
The Justice noted that according to section 179 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, it is within the law for Ndume to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Center pending when he forfeits the N500million bail sum to FG as he agreed to do in his affidavit.
The court gave Ndume the alternative of selling his property situated at plot 158 cadastral zone A02, Asokoro or to produce Maina in court for the continuation of his trail.
Justice Abang ordered that Ndume should remain in detention until he fulfills any of the above- mentioned conditions. The case was subsequently adjourned till Tuesday December 2nd for Maina’s trail to continue in his absence.
