The trial of ex-chairman of the Pension Reform Tasks Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina continued on Tuesday before a Federal High Court in Abuja despite his absence and not being represented by any lawyer.

Maina is being tried with a firm – Common Input Property and Investment Limited – by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly laundering about N2billion.

On the previous day, the court ordered the remand of Maina’s surety, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume in prison pending when he is either able to produce Maina (who is believed to have jumped bail) or pay a bail bond of N500million into Federal Government’s account and produce a receipt), and adjourned till Tuesday for continuation of trial.

At the resumption of proceedings on Tuesday, neither Francis Oronsaye (who represented Maina on November 23, 2020) nor A. Adedipe (who, the court noted, last appeared in the case for the second defendant) was in court.

Justice Okon Abang, in a ruling, noted that both defence lawyers stayed away from court without any reason, and elected to proceed with the trial.

Justice Abang said the defence lawyers have chosen to abandon proceedings without any reasons and should have themselves to blame for their action.

He agreed with the prosecution that the normal business of the day should be allowed to proceed.

Lead prosecuting lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar has called three witnesses for the day.

The first witness of the day, PW6 was to be cross examined by the defence lawyers, but had to be discharged, the judge having held that the defence lawyers failed to utilise the opportunity granted by the court for them to cross-examine the witness.

He called two others, who he led in evidence, tendered documents through them and were also discharged because the court found that the defence lawyers made themselves unavailable to cross-examine the witnesses

Details shortly…

______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

______________________________________________________________________ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR LAWYERS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria. Bonus: Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.

How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com

Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626

_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ________________________________________________________________________ The Law And Practice Of Redundancy In Nigeria: A Practitioner’s Guide, Authored By A Labour & Employment Law Expert Bimbo Atilola ______________________________________________________________________ “Bridging Theory And Courtroom Practice” — Hagler Sunny Okorie, Nathaniel Ngozi Ikeocha Unveil ‘Functional’ Tort Law Book For Nigerian Legal System The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209.