Faisal Maina, son of detained former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, who was declared wanted by the Federal High Court in Abuja, has been arrested.
His arrest comes barely a week after his father, who also jumped bail in his ongoing N2bn money laundering trial at the Federal Court in Abuja was arrested in the Republic of Niger and brought back to the court.
Read Also: Alleged Money Laundering: Maina To Remain In Prison Until End Of Trial
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed to the court on Thursday that the 21-year-old Faisal, who jumped bail since June 24, was apprehended by security operatives on Wednesday night.
Faisal is facing a three-count money laundering charge the anti-graft agency preferred against him.
EFCC alleged that Maina’s son sometimes between 2013 and 2019, received the sum of N58.11million, being proceeds of a corrupt act by his father. He was also accused of failing to properly declare his assets before the EFCC.
Faisal is also facing a charge of illegal possession of firearm after he allegedly pulled a gun on operatives of the Department of State Service that arrested his father at a hotel in Abuja on September 30.
His arrest was made possible after Justice Okon Abang on November 24, revoked the bail granted him and ordered that he is apprehended.
Read Also: Court Orders Arrest Of Maina’s Son, Summons Surety
The judge 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.
At the resumed hearing in the case on Thursday, surety’s lawyer, Mr. 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.
The lawyer said;
My lord, I was reliably informed that the Defendant had been arrested. He was arrested last night and he is in custody.
The prosecution counsel, Mr. Faruk Abdullah, confirmed the development but said the defendant had not been handed over to EFCC.
