News
Maina Feigning Ailments To Escape From Custody, Minister, NCoS Tell Court
The Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, and the Controller General (C-G), Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Haliru Nababa, have said that Abdulrasheed Maina was feigning ailments to aid his escape from lawful custody.
The minister and the C-G made the allegation in their joint counter affidavit in opposition to Maina’s originating motion filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday.
In the application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1719/22, dated and filed October 31, the duo said, “it has become glare from intelligence report at their disposal that the applicant (Maina) only feigns the ailments for him to be taken out of the custodial facility to aid his escape from lawful custody.”
The application was deposed to by Chief Superintendent of Correction, Diamond Bako, who was an officer in charge of clinic at Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre.
The former Chairman, defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Maina, had, on October 17, filed a motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1729/2022.
He (the applicant) listed the minister and the C-G of NCoS as 1st and 2nd respondents respectively, in a motion dated and filed on September 27.
Maina, who is currently serving an eight-year jail term at Kuje Prison for pension fraud to the tune of N2billion, had told the court that he was suffering from a life-threatening disease in the prison and he needs urgent medical attention.
The ex-pension reformed boss prayed court for an interim order directing the minister and the C-G, via their staff or agents, to immediately take him to a reputable and recognised hospital for treatment of his life-threatening diseases pending the hearing and determination of his originating motion.
Reacting, the respondents, in the counter affidavit, said contrary to Maina’s claim, he was never refused access to medical services, but that Maina would not be allowed to hide under medical services to escape from lawful custody.
They described the medical reports he produced as “self-induced.”
“The exhibits attached to the affidavit in support of the applicant (Maina)’s originating motion only goes to shows that, contrary to the claims of the applicant that he was denied access to medical facilities, the applicant had access to medical attentions at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, where he has severally been attended to; and the exhibits amply bore out these facts.
“Contrary to paragraph 13 of the affidavit in support of the applicant’s originating motion, there was no time the applicant collapsed in Kuje Medium Security Custodial facility;
“The applicant, on several occasions, made self-induced complaint about his health and he was taken (not rushed) to a specialised and reputable hospital for medical services.
“He was kept in the hospital for several hours without any sign of readiness on the part of the hospital management to attend to him.
“While in the hospital, he was visited by several friends and relatives, who sat with him, chat with him and he was engulfed in conversation with them, laughing occasionally, without any sign of any ailment and/or pain.
“When after several hours of waiting and effort by the operatives of the 2nd respondent (NCoS’ C-G) to the management of the hospital to come forward and attend to him failed, it became obvious that the referral to the hospital was a mere gimmick to take the applicant out of lawful custody.
“It was at that point the operatives of the 2nd respondent received a confidential, top secret intelligence report that the applicant must as a matter of expediency quickly removed from the hospital and return to the custodial centre, otherwise, armed gunmen suspected to be loyal to the applicant will strike and take the applicant away to unknown destination,” they alleged.
“It was on the face of this high power spy, intelligence report bothering on possible plan to snatch the applicant away from the few operatives of the 2nd respondent on ground at the hospital, and in order to avoid this imminent danger that the applicant was returned to the yard to forestall the danger of attack,” they alleged.
They said that Maina, who was arraigned on October 25, 2019, on a 12-count charge though pleaded not guilty, he, however, jumped bail after being granted the bail on health grounds.
They said that Senator Ali Ndume, who stood as Maina’s surety, was remanded in Kuje prison until Maina was rearrested.
The minister and the C-G told the court that Maina was only raising false health alarms.
Upon resumed hearing, last Wednesday, Maina’s lawyer, Ibrahim Idris, SAN, explained that the respondents’ lawyer, Abdulmumin Muhammad, had just served him with his application.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until November, Friday for hearing.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.