Drama as EFCC, NCoS officials clash over custody of Maina

*As Court sentences ex-Pension task team boss to 61 years imprisonment for fraud

ANDREW OROLUA, ABUJA

A mild drama ensued at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday as officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) clashed with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) over whose custody the jailed former chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, should be.

Though Justice Okon Abang sentenced Maina to a total of 61 years imprisonment for defrauding the Federal Government the sum of N2.1 billion and held that Maina should be with the NCoS but EFCC operatives disagreed with their counterparts in NCoS.

Shortly after the verdict, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) clashed with officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and exchanged altercations while attempting to take custody of Maina.

Prison officials, who brought the convict to court and were already on standby in the courtroom and within the court premises, and led Maina out were confronted by EFCC operatives.

Confusion started when EFCC operatives insisted that Maina must go in their vehicle. But reason later prevailed as the Court had ordered that the Correctional Centre should provide the convict with treatment or take him to hospital under tight security.

Justice Okon Abang found Maina guilty on all the 12 count charges filed on October 26, 2019 against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and sentenced him accordingly.

The judge sentenced him on Count 1, to 8 years imprisonment, Count 2, to 5 years imprisonment, Count 3 to 8 years’ imprisonment, Count 4 to 8 years’ imprisonment, on Count 5 to 3 years’ imprisonment and Count 6 to 5 years’ imprisonment.

Maina was also convicted on counts 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 to 8 years, 3 years, 5 years, 8 years, 3 years and 3 years respectively with effect from October 26, 2019.

The sentences are to run concurrently which implies that Maina would spend only 8 years in jail from October 26, 2019 which means he has only five years left to be in jail.

The court however ordered the forfeiture of Maina’s three landed properties in Abuja and his bullet proof jeeps and cars. They are to be auctioned and the proceeds paid into the Federal Government account.

His company, the ‘Common Input and Property Investment’ was ordered to refund the sum of N1.8bn and $537,983 within 90 days to the Federal Government. The judge also ordered the winding up of the company.

Maina, who was remorseful after the judge convicted him, apologised for all his misdeed.

In a related development, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court on Monday lamented the moral decadence Nigeria has degenerated into, just as he sent a former chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina to jail for defrauding the federal government N2.1bn.

Justice Abang said he had carefully considered the alocutus (plead for mercy) by the convict but the facts of his case demonstrated a sordid moral decadence that requires drastic measures to redress, having considered the monumental fraud in which over N2.1bn was stolen by the defendant who had no compassion for pensioners.

According to him, the convict was able to perpetrate the crime through the assistance of some banks who benefited from the fraud. Maina, he said, used the proceeds to buy houses in Dubai.

“Our situation requires drastic measures if we are to make any headway,” he said.