Maina: Court invites Malami, Falana, Magu, others to give oral evidence
By Tobi Adetunji
A Federal High Court in Abuja has invited the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Justice Minister Abubakar Malami (SAN), activist-lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), former acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, and other 10 persons, to appear as defence witnesses in the trial of former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina.
Maina is facing trial before the court along with his company, Common Input Property and Investment Limited, for alleged money laundering involving about N2.1 billion.
The invitation to Malami and others is in the form of a subpoena ad testificandum (invitation to give oral evidence), which was issued by the court over an application by Maina’s lawyer.
The court also invited M. Mustapha of Zenith Bank; a Director of Compliance at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Ibrahim Kaigama of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS); Chief Kenneth Amabem of Central Business District, Abuja; G. T. Idris and Hassan Salihu of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC); and retired Police Commissioner Mohammed Wakil.
The subpoena, dated March 8, 2021, reads: “You are commanded in the name of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to attend before this court at Court 6, on March 9, 10, 11, 2021 at 9 o’clock in the forenoon, and so from day to day till the above case is tied, to give evidence on behalf of the 1st defendant.”
The document was signed around 12.36 p.m on March 8, 2021 by the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang.
Maina’s first witness, Ngozika Ihuoma, had claimed in his testimony that Magu misappropriated 222 property valued at N1.63 trillion which were allegedly recovered by the Maina-led PRTT.
Ihuoma also claimed that Magu had sold most of the property to his friends and associates.
He equally claimed that Malami and the National Security Adviser (NSA) met with Maina in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE), in January 2016.
Ihuoma also alleged that Falana bought one of the property in Maitama, Abuja, recovered by the Maina-led PRTT, an allegation the lawyer has denied.
