The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Senator Ali Ndume over his inability to produce former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.
Maina is on the run in respect of his ongoing N2bn money laundering trial.
Maina has not appeared in court for trial since September, thereby leaving the court with no choice than to revoke his bail.
The court subsequently ordered his arrest anywhere he was sighted.
Justice Okon Abang on Monday ordered that the Senator representing Borno South would only be released from prison when he fulfils any of the following conditions:
Produce Maina in court, pay N500 millio. bail bond or sell off the N500m worth of property located in Asokoro, Abuja, which was used as the guarantee for the bail bond and tender the evidence of the payment of the proceeds of the sale into the Federation Account.
The EFCC’s Lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, had, on Nov. 18, urged the court to make an order for the forfeiture of the bail bond since Maina, who he stood as surety for, had jumped bail.
Abubakar also asked the court to revoke Maina’s bail and issued a warrant of arrest on him.
The court granted the applications by the EFCC on Maina, but gave Ndume an opportunity to appear with his legal representation and adjourned until Nov. 23.
Justice Abang, in a short ruling, directed that Senator Ndume be kept in prison custody until he fulfils the stipulated conditions.
