Court orders Senator Ndume to be remanded in prison over failure to produce Maina

By our reporter| A federal high court in Abuja on Monday ordered Senator Ali Ndume to be remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre.

The court gave the order following his failure to produce the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina whom he stood as surety for in his trial on alleged money laundering charges.

Maina has repeatedly failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial.

In a bench ruling delivered by Justice Okon Abang, the court ordered his remand pending the fulfillment of his bail bond, which is a forfeiture of N500 million to the federal government.

The court also empowered the federal government to sell Senator Ndume’s property at Asokoro in order to recover the N500 million bond.

Justice Abang added that Ndume will be released from Kuje once he is able to pay the N500 million or if the prosector is able to dispose of the property and payment made to the federal government.

Ndume’s lawyer, Marcel Oru, has, however, vowed to appeal the court’s ruling.

Maina’s trial-in-absentia was adjourned to November 24.