Court summons Malami, Magu, Falana, others to testify in Maina’s trial

By Olalekan Awojodu

Abuja

Others summoned: Godwin Emefiele(CBN Gov), Kennedy Uzoka, GMD, United Bank for Africa (UBA); and Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank; Mr Ibrahim Kaigama of NIPSS Jos, M.Mustapha (Zenith Bank), Hassan Salihu (ICPC), G.T Idris(ICPC), Mohammed Wakil (CP rtd), and Chief Kenneth Amabem

The Federal High Court,Abuja on Tuesday issued a subpoena compelling the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami SAN, Ibrahim Magu, former acting Chairman, EFCC and the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele to appear before it.

They are billed to testify in the ongoing corruption trial levelled against the ertswhile Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina.

The subpoena, signed on March 8 by Justice Okon Abang. Also commanded is human rights lawyer, Femi Falana SAN and others to appeared before the court on March 9, March 10 and March 11 to give their testimony.

Others who were also subpoenaed included M. Mustapha of Zenith Bank Abuja; Hassan Salihu of ICPC; G.T. Idris also from ICPC; Mohammed Wakil, retired Commissioner of Police and Chief Kenneth Amabem.

Others are Mr Kennedy Uzoka, Group Managing Director of United Bank for Africa (UBA); and Mrs Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Managing Director, Fidelity Bank; Mr Ibrahim Kaigama of NIPSS Jos and the director of compliance with CBN.

The document addressed to Malami and Magu reads: “You are commanded in the name of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Pepublic of Nigeria to attend before this court at court 6, on 9th, 10th, 11th day of March 2021 at 9 o’clock in the forenoon, and so from day to day till the above case is tied, to give evidence on behalf of the 1st defendant.”

Maina it will be recalled is standing trial for allegedly laundering money to the tune of N2 billion.

The first defence witness in the case, Ngozika Ihuoma, had, while giving his evidence-in-chief, alleged that EFCC under Magu misappropriated 222 property worth N1.63 trillion recovered by the Maina-led PRTT.

He alleged that Magu had sold most of the property to his friends and associates.

Ihuoma had also told the court that AGF and the National Security Adviser (NSA) met with Maina in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) in January 2016,

“After the meeting in Dubai, Maina gave the delegation intelligence report that led to the recovery of N1.3 trillion out of the N3 trillion promised to recover,” the witness said.