Court threatens to revoke Maina’s bail over trial delays

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has warned former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, that his bail could be revoked over repeated delays in his ongoing fraud trial.

Justice Abubakar Kutigi issued the warning on Thursday after Maina’s defence counsel, Mr Achibong, presented a hospital referral and requested an adjournment, citing his client’s absence. The judge, however, noted that the referral did not indicate any specific illness.

Expressing frustration, Justice Kutigi said the case had made little progress over the past four years due to what he described as tactics by the defendant to stall proceedings. He observed that Maina had not appeared in court for several years and warned that his bail could be withdrawn if the delays persist.

The judge declined the request for adjournment and disclosed that the defence team had undertaken to proceed with the trial with or without Maina’s presence.

Following the ruling, prosecution counsel Francis Usani called the 14th prosecution witness, Gogi Mohammed, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to continue his testimony.

Mohammed told the court that investigations revealed that Maina allegedly used officials in the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to siphon public funds through fictitious contracts, allowances and a biometric enrolment scheme for pensioners.

He said the EFCC traced several properties allegedly linked to Maina to a relative, Maimuna Usman, in Kaduna. A search of her residence reportedly uncovered title documents and certificates of occupancy for more than 30 properties, mostly located in Abuja and Kaduna.

According to the witness, some of the properties were purchased with cash, including one in Jabi, Abuja, allegedly bought for $2 million, another in Life Camp for $1.7 million, and one in Kaduna valued at N100 million.

The investigator also testified about alleged contract inflation involving a company engaged for biometric enrolment services. He said payments exceeding the approved contract sum were traced to the company, with substantial funds allegedly channelled back to Maina.

During the hearing, the prosecution sought to tender extra-judicial statements made by the defendants, but the defence objected, claiming they were obtained under duress.

Justice Kutigi subsequently adjourned the case to February 20 and 26 for a trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of the statements.

Maina was first arraigned in 2019 alongside Ann Igwe Olachi on charges relating to the alleged misappropriation of over N738 million in pension funds.