Reps Member, Galadima, loses N60m mansion over bail on Maina’s son

By Yemi Oyeyemi,Abuja

A House of Representatives member, Hon. Sani Dan-Galadima, has been ordered by a high court in Abuja to forfeit his palatial N60M house to the federal government for his failure to produce run-away Faisal Maina person in court.

The federal lawmaker representing Kaura-Namoda Federal Constituency of Zamfara, is forfeiting the Abuja mansion in lieu of the N60M bail bond he entered in court while standing as surety for the young Maina who has jumped the bail.

Justice Okon Abang of the Federal high court in a committal proceeding ruling, ordered that Faisal’s surety must forfeit the property having freely elected to do so while standing as surety for the defendant in the criminal matter.

Faisal , son of Abdulrasheed Maina, was granted the N60 million bail with a surety in the like sum who must be a serving member of the House of Representatives

His father, Abdulrasheed Maina who is standing trial in a N2B corruption charge was also admitted to bail in the sum of N500M by the same court and later escaped to Niger Republic to escape trial but was extradited to the country by the International Police.

At the resumed proceedings, Faisal Maina, son of former Chairman, defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), was alleged to have fled to the United States of America (USA) by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

EFCC’s Counsel, Mohammed Abubakar told Justice Okon Abang that from the information at the disposal of the anti-graft agency, Faisal sneaked to the USA through the Republic of Niger.

The counsel applied that the surety be made to forfeit his bond since he has failed to produce the defendant in court for trial as required by law.

Earlier, the EFFC counsel and the defendant’s counsel, Mr Anayo Adibo, had given conflicting information about the whereabout of the defendant
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On its part EFCC insisted that Faisal was not in the custody of the police or the Department of State Service (DSS), as claimed in some quarters.

“We have a bench warrant arrest of the defendant and his apprehension before the court; we have been making serious effort to implement the bench warrant, up till now.

“The defendant has absconded to the United States of American, the fact that he was arrested in Sokoto by the police was in the realm of a rumour…It is on record that the Nigerian and American passports of the defendant are in custody of this court as part of the condition of his bail.

“However, information at our disposal indicate that the defendant was able to sneak out of Nigeria to the Republic of Niger from where he was able to proceed to the U.S.A,“ he said.

But Adibo objected to Abubakar’s assertion, adding that his client spoke to him on phone while being taken into police custody in Sokoto.

He argued that Faisal could not have flown to the U.S when his international passports where in the court’s custody.

“On the last adjourned date, I did inform the court that the defendant was taken into custody by men of the Nigerian Police. My Lord, the following day, media report as well as the press release by the police command in Sokoto confirmed this particular fact,” he disclosed.

Reacting to their conflicting arguments, Justice Abang, said “I don’t even know who to believe”. He later said he would work with the facts before him.

Adibo further prayed the court to grant his application which sought for the defendant to enter defence in his trial.

But the prosecution urged the court to dismiss the application due to the continued absence of the defendant from court proceedings.

Justice Abang adjourned the matter to 31 March, 2021 “for ruling of the defendant’s application”.