Alleged N2.1bn Fraud: Court Invites Malami, Falana, Magu, Others
A Federal High Court in Abuja has invited 10 individuals, including the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), Femi Falana (SAN), and the suspended acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu to appear as defence witnesses in the trial of former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) Abdulrasheed Maina.
Maina is being tried before the court along with his company, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd on money- laundering charge involving about N2.1billion.
The invitation to Malami and others is in form of a subpoena ad testificandum, which was issued by the court upon an application by Maina’s lawyer.
Maina is being tried before the court along with his company, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd on money- laundering charge involving about N2.1billion.
The invitation to Malami and others is in form of a subpoena ad testificandum, which was issued by the court upon an application by Maina’s lawyer.
Others to whom the invitation were addressed are M. Mustapha Director of Compliance at the Central Bank of Nigeria; 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 Commissioner of Police (CP), Mohammed Wakil (rtd).
The subpoena, dated March 8, 2021 reads in part: “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 9th, 10th, 11th day of March 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 12.36pm on March 8, 2021 by the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang.
Maina’s first witness, Ngozika Ihuoma had, in the course of his testimony, claimed that Magu misappropriated 222 property worth N1.63 trillion 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 AGF and the National Security Adviser (NSA) met with Maina in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) in January 2016,
“After the meeting in Dubai, Maina gave the delegation intelligence report that led to the recovery of N1.3 trillion out of the N3 trillion promised to recover,” the witness said.
Ihuoma also alleged that Falana bought one of the properties in Maitama, Abuja recovered by the Maina-led PRTT, an allegation the lawyer has denied.
