Court reduces Maina’s bail sum from N1bn to N500m

Okon Abang, judge of a federal high court in Abuja, has varied the bail conditions he gave to Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT).

Maina was arraigned on 12 counts of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 25, 2019.

He was granted bail in the sum of N1 billion on November 25, 2019.

In the previous bail conditions, the judge asked Maina to provide two sureties with properties worth N500m naira each.

He said the sureties must have landed properties fully developed in Asokoro or Maitama in Abuja, and that they must be serving senators with no criminal case in court.

Abang also ordered that one of the sureties must be present in court at every trial date.

But Maina through his counsel, Afam Osigwe, told the court that he had been unable to meet the conditions for bail owing to their stringent nature.

Ruing on the application for variation of bail, Abang said: “I am inclined to vary the bail conditions of the defendant but it is not because of the facts placed before me by the defendant counsel.”

In fresh the conditions, Maina’s bail sum was reduced to N500 million and he is to produce only one surety.

The surety must be a serving senator with no criminal case pending in court. He must have a landed property fully developed in Asokoro, Maitama, central business district, Wuse II or Katampe in Abuja.

In addition, the surety must accompany the defendant to court at all trial dates and must sign an attendance register which would be opened for that purpose. After signing in, the senator can leave the court to continue his daily activities.