Maina Denies EFCC’s Allegation of Planning to Escape from Prison

Maina Denies EFCC’s Allegation of Planning to Escape from Prison

The Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, has denied an allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he was plotting to escape from prison and assassinate prison officials and others.

Maina made the denial in his counter-affidavit filed in objection to the EFCC’s application for the revocation of his bail granted him by the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Since Maina was granted bail, he has remained in prison because of his inability not to fulfill the bail conditions.

But EFCC’s lawyer, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, who is prosecuting Maina on charges of money laundering involving alleged diversion of pension funds, alleged that he was planning to escape from the prison and urged the court to revoke the bail.

Abubakar had stated in the application that Maina “who was granted bail by the court since November 26, 2019 (though still in custody) has perfected plans to assassinate prosecution witnesses and counsel in this matter.”

The lawyer alleged that Maina “perfected plans to escape from custody and abscond; and in the process assassinate Nigerian Correctional Service officials attached to him.”

But Maina has denied the allegations.
He stated in his counter-affidavit deposed on his behalf by a lawyer, Abass Sanni, that the allegations were “unfounded and unsubstantiated.”
The counter-affidavit stated in part, “He (Maina) has never planned or attempted to escape from the correctional facility (prison).
“He has never threatened to assassinate, harass and or intimidate any of the prosecutors, correctional service officers or witnesses whatsoever in this matter or in any other matter.

“He will never threaten, harass and or intimidate any of the prosecutors or witnesses in this matter.
He vehemently denies the unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations by the complainant that he plans to escape from prison and assassinate any person whatsoever.”

The counter-affidavit added that “the so-called intelligence received by the EFCC is baseless, concocted and untrue”.

Maina argued that the commission “merely fabricated the documents attached to its affidavit in support of this motion so as to paint a very bad and unfavourable picture of him as well as influence the mind of the court”.

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