Drama as Former Nigerian Pension Boss Accused of Money Laundering Slumps in Court

A former chairman of the Nigerian Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) Abdulrasheed Maina collapsed before a federal high court in the nation’s capital, Abuja where he is being tried on charges of money laundering.

On Wednesday, the former pension chief told the court that he had no case to answer shortly, but slumped few minutes into his trial on Thursday.

Anayo Adibe, Maina’s new counsel, told Okon Abang, the judge, that he would file a formal application to argue his client’s no-case submission.

While Maina’s counsel, Adibe said he would not be able to proceed with the application as he is yet to get the record of proceedings, his client slumped.

The incident stirred an uproar in the court as prison warders and some lawyers rushed to resuscitate him. Owing to the development, the judge was forced to suspend the proceedings.

Maina was arraigned before Justice Abang on October 25, 2019, by the country’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd.

Although he is facing 12-counts bordering on money laundering to the tune of N2 billion (about $5.3 million), he had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Maina had jumped bail and was extradited to Nigeria after his arrest in Niger Republic last Monday.