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Nigeria: Maina, Who Allegedly Stole Billions of Pension Funds, Collapses in Court

Mr Maina is being tried by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, which closed its case on Wednesday after calling nine witnesses.

Abdulrasheed Maina, a former pension chief who is being tried for stealing pension funds, collapsed in court on Thursday.

Mr Maina is being tried by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, which closed its case on Wednesday after calling nine witnesses.

On Wednesday, Mr Maina, who twice escaped from Nigeria after being granted bail, began his defence on Wednesday where he asked the court to dismiss the suit and declare that he has no case to answer.

During the hearing of his no case submission, on Thursday, Mr Maina collapsed inside the courtroom of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The judge, Okon Abang, subsequently adjourned the case for some minutes.

Mr Maina, who was recently rearrested in Niger Republic where he fled to after being granted bail by the court, is being prosecuted on a 12-count charge of theft and money laundering.

On Tuesday, the EFCC’s last witness told the court that Mr Maina bought two houses in Abuja for $3.4 million and paid for the houses in cash, a witness has told the court.

The witness, Ruqqayah Ibrahim, an EFCC investigator, said this while testifying against the former pension chief.

Ms Ibrahim is the EFCC’s 9th witness in its corruption trial of Mr Maina who was the head of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT).

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Maina’s counsel, Anayo Adibe, had earlier on Tuesday, asked the court for an adjournment of the case, stating that he needed more time to study the case.

The court refused the request after it was opposed by the EFCC counsel.

The court also ordered that the trial should continue.

More details of Thursday’s court session will be provided in subsequent updates.

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