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UPDATED: Custody drama as ex-Pension boss, Maina bags 8-year jail term for money laundering

Published

3 years ago

November 8, 2021

…. armed security agents foil EFCC’s attempt to re-arrest him within the court premises

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Monday, convicted and sentenced the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, to eight years in prison for money laundering.

The court, in the judgement that was delivered by Justice Okon Abang, found Maina guilty on all the 12-count charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him and his company, Common Input Property and Investment Limited.

It held that the anti-graft agency successfully established the essential ingredients of offences contained in the charge, beyond a reasonable doubt.

Justice Abang held that the sentence would run concurrently, with effect from October 25, 2019, which was the day the Defendants were arraigned.

He ordered Maina and his firm to forfeit about N2.1billion that was traced to their bank accounts, as well as another sum of $223, 396, 30, to the Federal Government, after which he directed that the company should be wound up.

The court held that the forfeited funds should be paid to FG within 90 days.

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Besides, it ordered the forfeiture of Maina’s two choice properties at Life camp and Jabi districts of Abuja, to the government, likewise the auction of a bulletproof car and a BMW 5 Series exotic car that was found in premises of the convict.

Justice Abang stressed that though the law made provision for a maximum sentence of 14 years for the offence that was committed by the Defendants, he said he was moved by Maina’s plea for mercy.

Meanwhile, drama ensued shortly after the judgement, as plain-clothed officials of the EFCC, attempted to re-arrest the convicted former pension boss within the court premises.

The EFCC agents had immediately officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS, who were leading Maina out of the court, used both a Hilux and a White Hiace Bus, to block the vehicle that was meant to convey the convict to prison.

Their move to grab Maina was vehemently resisted by armed officials of the NCS.

After the clash that lasted over 30mins, the EFCC operatives backed out and allowed Maina to be taken away by officials from Kuje Correctional Center.

Though there is another criminal case pending against Maina before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, it was however not clear why the EFCC wanted to take him into its custody.

Meantime, earlier in his judgement, Justice Abang held that EFCC successfully discharged the evidential burden that was placed on it by the law, noting that the Defendants failed to offer any concrete defence to the charge.

He held that the EFCC adduced sufficient evidence that was “unchallenged”.

Justice Abang said there was uncontroverted evidence that Maina had at a period that pension funds were stolen, paid in over N1.5million, N500m and N300m, into five bank accounts that were traced to him.

He said there was no explanation from the 1st Defendant about where the money, which was above his legitimate earnings, came from.

The trial judge held that Defendant, whose monthly salary was about N250, 000, could not have been able to save over an N2billion, within the 30 days period that the deposits were made.

“Judgement is hereby entered in favour of the Prosecution and the Defendant is accordingly convicted”, he held.

At this juncture, Maina’s lawyer, Mr Olusegun Jolawon, SAN, begged the court for leniency.

“I beg my lord to give the Defendant a second chance by not bringing down the full weight of the law. Defendant obviously made some mistakes and he is very remorseful about them. He is the breadwinner of both his nuclear and extended family.

“Moreover, there is documentary evidence that he is seriously sick. Nobody is immune to illness”, the defence lawyer added.

Likewise, Maina while addressing the court by himself, apologized for his past conduct.

He said: “My lord, I want to apologise for anything I may have done, with or without my intention. It was all adduced to me.

“I was never opportune to be in the witness box, if not, you would have heard a lot of things”, Maina stated, saying he has three different tumours in his body and would need to undergo a medical operation urgently.

After he had listened to the Allocutus (plea for mercy) by both Maina and his lawyer, Justice Abang said the facts of the case was “sordid, immoral and dirty”.

“Facts of this case portray the moral decadence of the society we live in. Having considered the monumental fraud, about how pensioners’ funds were stolen.

“It is a clear case that the convict is inhuman, heartless and had no compassion for the pensioners. Some of them have suffered, others have died while waiting to get their reward on earth.

“Whereas the convict was feeding fat from their sweat in faraway Dubai, buying properties, driving bulletproof cars that were beyond his legitimate earnings.

“Abnormal situation requires drastic action to send a message to those that believe in dishonesty, to have a rethink”, he added.

The court maintained that FG ought to have withdrawn the operating licenses of the two banks it noted connived with the convict to steal pension funds to the tune of over an N2.1billion.

EFCC had in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/256/2019, alleged that Maina used a bank account that was operated by his firm and laundered funds, part of which he used to acquire landed properties in Abuja.

It told the court that the 1st Defendant (Maina) used fictitious names to open and operate various bank accounts, as well as recruited his relatives that were bankers to operate fake bank accounts through which illicit funds were channelled.

The EFCC alleged that Maina induced staff of some banks to open accounts for him, without conducting the requisite due diligence to verify the identity of the beneficial owner.

The Prosecution maintained that Maina and his company, committed criminal offences, punishable under sections 11(2) (a), 15(3), and 16(2) (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, and also acted in breach of the Advance Fee Fraud Act.

Maina had midway into his trial, jumped bail and escaped from the country.

Though the court okayed his trial in absentia and issued a warrant of arrest against him, Maina, was subsequently re-arrested in the Niger Republic and returned back to the country on December 4, 2020.

EFCC closed its case against the Defendants after it called a total of nine witnesses.

In his defence, Maina, called a sole witness, even as the court, in a ruling on July 16, closed his defence after he failed to produce his second witness.

Subsequent application by the Defendants, to be allowed to re-open their defence, was rejected by the court which described it as an abuse of the judicial process.

The Defendants had applied for the court to compel about 15 persons to appear as his witnesses.

Maina insisted that evidence of the subpoenaed witnesses would be crucial to his defence of the charge.

The court had after he jumped bail, remanded his surety, Senator Ali Ndume, in prison custody.

It ordered Ndume who is representing Borno South Senatorial District, to either produce Defendant for the continuation of his trial or to forfeit his N500m bail bond.

Alternatively, it directed the sale of Ndume’s property situated at Asokoro in Abuja to raise the N500m it said should be paid into the Federation Account.

After he regained his freedom on November 27, 2020, following Maina’s re-arrest, Ndume, applied to withdraw from the case, a request that was rejected by the court.

It will be recalled that Justice Abang had in a judgement he delivered on October 7, also convicted and sentenced Maina’s son, Faisal, to 14 years imprisonment for money laundering.

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Nigerian woman declared dead appears in UK court to reclaim her £350,000 home

Published

18 hours ago

March 13, 2025

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June Ashimola

Nigerian woman declared dead appears in UK court to reclaim her £350,000 home

A 55-year-old Nigerian woman, June Ashimola, who was falsely declared dead, has appeared via video link from Nigeria before the UK High Court to prevent a convicted fraudster from seizing her £350,000 home in Woolwich, southeast London.

Ashimola was wrongly declared dead in February 2019, sparking a long legal battle over her estate.

However, she has now presented herself before Deputy Master John Linwood, asserting that she is alive and a victim of fraud.

According to DailyMail on Wednesday, the court heard that following her wrongful declaration of death, power of attorney over her estate, which consisted primarily of a house, was granted to Ms. Ruth Samuel, acting on behalf of Bakare Lasisi, who falsely claimed to have married Ashimola in 1993.

However, the judge ruled that the supposed marriage was a fabrication and that Lasisi did not exist.

According to court records, Ashimola left the UK for Nigeria in 2018 and had not returned since.

By October 2022, power of attorney had been awarded to Samuel on behalf of the fictitious Lasisi, who laid claim to Ashimola’s estate.

The judge ultimately found that Tony Ashikodi, a convicted fraudster who served three years in prison in 1996 for obtaining property by deception, had orchestrated the elaborate scheme to seize her home.

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“This is an unusual probate claim in that the deceased says she is very much alive,” Deputy Master Linwood remarked, describing the case as a web of fraud, forgery, impersonation, and intimidation.

“The root of this claim is a long running battle or campaign waged by a Mr Tony Ashikodi for control and/or ownership of the property.

‘Ms Ashimola left the UK for Nigeria in about October 2018 and has not returned since. This claim involves wide-ranging allegations of fraud, forgery, impersonation and intimidation,” Linwood added.

Despite visa challenges preventing her from appearing in person, Ashimola’s identity was verified through passport photographs, leading the judge to dismiss the claims against her estate.

After reviewing the evidence, Deputy Master Linwood ruled, “’I find Ms Ashimola is alive and that the death certificate was forged and/or fraudulently obtained or produced or concocted.

“Her alleged death was part of Mr Tony Ashikodi’s attempts to wrest control of the property from her.

“The person who appeared before me and identified herself as Ms Ashimola was physically like her photographs in each passport.

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“I find that Ms Ashimola was not married to Mr Lasisi and that the marriage certificate is a concocted or fraudulent document for these reasons.

“I do not accept Mr Lasisi exists or if he does is aware of his identity being used. I do not accept that emails supposedly from him were actually from him.”

He further accused Ashikodi of attempting to mislead the court and found that both Ashikodi and Samuel were either directly involved in producing the fraudulent documents or knowingly relied on them.

He added, “I find that the probate power of attorney submitted supposedly by Mr Lasisi and Ms Samuel was a fraudulently produced or concocted document.

“The death certificate was not proven to the necessary standard in that only a copy was produced. The provenance was unknown. There was no evidence before me that it was a genuine document evidencing a real event.

“I find it was forged and/or fraudulently produced or concocted. The persons who relied upon it namely Mr Tony Ashikodi and Ms Samuel were either directly involved in its production or else knew it was false.’”

As a result, the power of attorney was revoked, safeguarding Ashimola’s rightful ownership of her £350,000 property.

The court also heard that legal costs incurred by both parties have exceeded £150,000, an amount that may surpass the property’s equity value.

Nigerian woman declared dead appears in UK court to reclaim her £350,000 home

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Natasha: Senate writes IPU on her suspension

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March 13, 2025

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Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

Natasha: Senate writes IPU on her suspension

The complaint filed by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan at the United Nations Inter-Parliamentary Conference in New York has continued to generate reactions from various quarters.

The Kogi Central lawmaker had taken her case to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), alleging injustice and harassment, including her recent suspension from the Nigerian Senate.

Following her presentation, the IPU assured her that it would take necessary steps to address her grievances but emphasized the need to also hear the other side before making any official pronouncement.

The Nigerian Senate has however replied to Senator Natasha’s complaint to the IPU through a letter written by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

The letter was read by the Chairperson of the House of Representatives committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Honorable Kafilat Ogbara, who is attending the event in an official capacity representing Nigeria.

The Senate letter read in part, “Senator Natasha-Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for gross misconduct and unruly behaviour and not as a result of allegation of sexual harassment or assault.

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“The authority of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria firmly refutes the deliberate misinformation and false narrative being circulated by certain media organisations regarding the sixth months suspension of Senator Natsaha-Akpoti-Uduaghan.

“Let it be unequivocally stated that Uduaghan was suspended solely for her persistent act of misconduct and disregard for the Senate Standing Orders.”

Honourable Ogbara, however, called for a thorough investigation into the allegation by Senator Natasha against the Senator President, Godswill Akpabio.

She maintained that procedures and necessary actions under the Senate rules were observed before Senator Natasha’s suspension.

Last week, the Senate suspended the lawmaker in a move that has continued to generate debates across the country.

She had initially submitted a petition to the Senate accusing Akpabio of sexual harassment. But the lawmakers threw it out before suspending her even after submitting another petition.

Senator Natasha vowed to continue the fight against “injustice”. But in the wake of the suspension, Akpabio denied the accusations and maintained he has never assaulted women.

Her altercation with the Senate president started on February 20, 2025, after her seat was changed during plenary.

That is not the first time both individuals had issues. In July 2024, Akpabio had while trying to correct her for misconduct told her to follow the rules and that the Senate is not a nightclub where anybody can talk anyhow. The Akwa Ibom lawmaker, however, later apologised to her for the remark.

Natasha: Senate writes IPU on her suspension

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Tinubu set to appoint new ambassadors after 18 months

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2 days ago

March 12, 2025

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Tinubu set to appoint new ambassadors after 18 months

President Bola Tinubu is finally taking steps to fill Nigeria’s diplomatic leadership positions after operating without ambassadors for a year and a half.

According to a credible source in the Presidential Villa, the government has completed the screening of potential candidates to head Nigeria’s over 100 diplomatic missions worldwide. A senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that the appointments are expected “very soon.”

This move follows Tinubu’s decision in September 2023 to recall all Nigerian ambassadors shortly after taking office.

“The issue is being resolved,” the source said, indicating that the long diplomatic vacuum may be coming to an end very soon.

“Nigeria’s security services have conducted background checks on potential appointees and have shared their findings with relevant agencies in the presidency and legislature”, according to an intelligence official.

The foreign affairs ministry has previously blamed financial constraints for the delay in naming new diplomats.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation has budgeted N302.4 billion this year to operate its foreign missions.

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A former Nigerian ambassador who served in Africa and the United States noted that since taking office in May 2023, President Tinubu has focused primarily on addressing Nigeria’s struggling economy, with foreign policy taking a second priority.

The former ambassador, who requested anonymity, said government officials had informed him that several foreign leaders had raised concerns about Nigeria’s lack of ambassadors during discussions with President Tinubu. According to this source, the president has assured these leaders that appointments will be made soon.

Another official who asked to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak to the press confirmed that the appointment was imminent.

“Ambassadorial appointments require approval from the National Assembly. So, the list will be submitted to the Senate President, who will then announce it. But it has not been submitted yet. Yes, I can confirm that but it will be submitted shortly.

In April 2024, the government appointed 12 consuls-general and five chargés d’affaires to represent Nigeria in 14 countries, but these interim measures fell short of filling the leadership vacuum in key missions.

Consuls-general and chargés d’affaires can perform routine administrative duties and oversee the operations of an embassy. They, however, lack the diplomatic weight to engage at the highest levels, such as with heads of state or critical international negotiations.

This newspaper learnt that a founder of a tier-one bank, a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State and the Speaker of a House of Assembly in the North were considered for the ambassadorial roles.