Senator Ali Ndume has finally heaved a sigh of relief following the arrest of former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrashid Abdullahi Maina in Niamey, Niger Republic Sunday night.
Ndume had stood Surety for Maina, on a N500m bond, pledging his house in Asokoro Abuja. But Maina jumped bail, did not appear in court again after his bail, and fled. Nobody knew where he was.
Maina was being prosecuted by the EFCC over a fraud amounting to a whooping Two Billion Naira attributed to him when he was PRTT Chairman.
The trial Judge, Okon Abang, upset over Maina’s continuous absence, clamped Senator Ndume in jail, and granted him bail five days later. A bench warrant was issued on Maina.
But on Monday, Maina was nabbed in the neighbouring Niger Republic.
In a Press Release on Monday, the Nigeria Police Force said it was perfecting extradition processes of the fugitive to Nigeria to enable him face trial in pending criminal proceedings against him.
According to Force Spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba, Maina, “who was declared wanted by a court of competent jurisdiction, was arrested last night, 30th November, 2020 through the collaborative efforts of the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, INTERPOL NCB, Abuja and their Nigerien counterpart. He is currently in a detention facility in Niger Republic awaiting the completion of the extradition processe.”
With Maina’s arrest, Ndume would be off the hook, and Maina is not likely to be given bail again.
