Maina’s son Faisal arrested

Faisal, son of Abdulrasheed Maina

Faisal Maina son of the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Taskforce Team Abdulrasheed Maina has been arrested, a Federal High Court in Abuja has learnt.

This comes barely one week after Maina, who had jumped bail in his ongoing N2billion money laundering trial, was arrested in the Republic of Niger and extradited to Nigeria.

Faisal who is being prosecuted in a separate three-count money laundering case at the same court, had jumped bail and stopped attending trial.

Faisal’s bail was revoked on November 24 by Justice Okon Abang. The judge also ordered his arrest.

Justice Abang also ordered the fleeing defendant’s surety, who is a member of the House of Representatives representing Kaura-Namoda Federal Constituency, Umar Dan-Galadima, to appear in court.

However, at the resumed hearing on Thursday, the surety’s lawyer M. E. Sheriff urged the court to suspend the hearing of the forfeiture proceedings on the grounds that he got information that Faisal had been arrested.

“My lord, I was reliably informed that the defendant had been arrested. He was arrested last night and he is in custody,” he said.

Prosecution counsel Faruk Abdullah confirmed the development but said the defendant had not been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.