Ali Ndume, Senator representing Borno South, on Friday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja, that he cannot find the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulraheed Maina.
Ndume is standing as bail surety for Maina, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 12 counts of money laundering involving about ₦2billion.
Maina has been absent in court for three times in a row within one week.
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In line with terms and conditions of the bail which the judge Justice Okon Abang gave in January 2020, Ndume gave legal commitment to accompany the defendant to court every trial date and provided the court with the title documents of his property worth ₦500m in a choice area of Abuja as a guarantee.
But both Maina and Ndume were absent for the proceedings scheduled to hold on September 29.
The senator, who subsequently showed up in court on September 30 without Maina explained to the judge on Friday, that he was absent from the September 29 proceedings due to Boko Haram’s attack on the convoy of the Governor of Borno State.
Asked by the judge if he knew the defendant’s whereabouts, Ndume said, ‘My lord, I must confess, I do not know.’
The lawmaker, who recalled that he agreed to serve as Maina’s surety following pleas by the defendant’s wife and uncle, also said, ‘I did not foresee these circumstances, my lord.’
He said he did not know Maina’s residence in Abuja, but he knew the one in Kaduna.
The senator pleaded for more time to enable him to find the defendant.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
