The Chairman of the defunct Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging his being declared a wanted person for corruption allegations.

He argued in the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1174/2017, that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s publication of his name and picture in a newspaper advertisement on November 7, 2017, declaring him wanted, was borne out of malice and amounted to a violation of his rights to dignity of person.

Maina, who was controversially reinstated into the federal civil service last year, added that the EFCC, the International Police, and other respondents’ acts of alleged intimidation, harassment, threats of arrest and detention flouted his rights to personal liberty and fair hearing.

He asked the court to make an order of mandatory injunction restraining the respondents from further making such publication against him.

The embattled ex-PTTPR chairman also demanded N500m as damages for the respondents’ previous acts which he contended violated his rights.

He sought an order restraining the respondents from further intimidating, harassing, arresting and detaining him.

Maina equally sought an order directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to apologise to him in three national dailies for its newspaper advertisements declaring him wanted on November 7, 2017.

The respondents to the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN); the EFCC; the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris; the Commissioner of Police, Interpol and the Nigerian Immigration Service.

Maina had reportedly fled the country, subsequently declared wanted and sacked from the civil service after the EFCC accused him and others of looting about N2.1bn pension funds in 2013.

But he was controversially reinstated in the middle of last year.

Following the development, the EFCC, again declared him wanted in an advertisement which had both his name and picture, published in a newspaper on November 7, 2017.

Maina’s lead counsel, O. J. Onyemah, anchored the suit, filed last December on seven grounds, one of which was that there was no legal justification for declaring his client wanted.

He argued that there was no law empowering any of the respondents to advertise/publish or parade Maina’s name and picture “as a criminal” when the plaintiff had not been tried or convicted by any court.

Onyemah also contended that “the purported warrant of arrest” relied upon by the EFCC “did not direct the publishing or parading of the applicant’s name and picture in any newspaper or media at all.”

He added that the respondents had “whimsically and severally” threatened and violated Maina’s rights even when there was another pending suit filed in 2016 by Maina and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/371/2016 to challenge the respondents’ acts of intimidation.

Maina, through the affidavit deposed to by a lawyer in his legal team, Mr. Mba Ogbudibia, and filed in support of the suit, accused the EFCC of putting him on media trial.

The affidavit read in part, “There is no warrant of arrest properly called in existence authorising the respondents, particularly the 2nd respondent, to carry out newspaper publication as stated above on which the respondents are basing their renewed intimidation, harassment, threats of arrest and detention of the Applicant.

“By the order of the Chief Magistrate Court, Abuja, dated 6/5/2016, the said magistrate decided with finality that it lacks jurisdiction to issue any warrant of arrest against the Applicant.

“The applicant has suffered serious injury and irreparable damage as a result of the reckless indiscretion and act of the Respondent complained herein.”

Part of the prayers Maina sought in his suit were, “An order of injunction restraining the respondents jointly and severally, whether by themselves, their officers, servants, agents or whosoever described, acting on their behalves, from any or further acts of intimidation, harassment, threats, unlawful arrest and detention of applicant or howsoever interfering with the applicant’s personal liberty save in accordance with due process of law.

“An order directing the 2nd respondent (EFCC) to publish and/or make a public apology to the Applicant in three national newspapers including the The Nation Newspaper for the reckless and malicious use of the name and picture of the Applicant as a wanted person for fraud contrary to Applicant’s human dignity and presumption of innocence guaranteed by the CFRN 1999 (as amended).

“N500,000,000.00 general and exemplary damages against the Respondents jointly and severally for the violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights aforestated.”

Punch

Post Views: 920

Up Next

I Once Worked In A Mortuary For Eight Years – Oyo State Governor

Don't Miss

President Buhari Meets Gov. Ortom, Vows To Fish Out Those Behind Benue Massacre

Click to comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

BIG STORY

Warri Refinery: Oil Marketers Eye Loading Of Petrol February

Published

43 mins ago

January 5, 2025

PorscheClassy News

Oil marketers have started loading Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) and Kerosene from the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company.

Dealers confirmed this on Friday, while also requesting Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from the recently rehabilitated plant.

WRPC, under the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, resumed operations on December 30, 2024, after the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, announced its return to service during a tour of the facility.

Speaking with one of our correspondents at the refinery on Friday, the Chairman of the Delta State chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Harry Okenini, said that while the plant was operational, it was not yet functioning at full capacity.

He, however, pointed out that marketers had begun loading diesel and kerosene from the refinery.

“Right now, there is no production of petrol. So, we are not loading PMS. We hope to load PMS soon. We can confirm to you that the plant is working although not at 100 per cent. And IPMAN, Warri Depot Unit, is waiting for the production of PMS so that we can load.

“For now, only the Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, and Dual Purpose Kerosene are being produced and loaded out for consumption.

“Hopefully, by February, we are expecting cooking gas, PMS, and other products to come out. As of now, the retail unit is only loading AGO and DPK,” he added.

Also speaking with our correspondents at the refinery, the National Chairman of the Surface Tank and Kerosene Peddlers, a branch of NUPENG, Israel Omokere, confirmed that the refinery was operational.

He said, “Hopefully, the PMS will come on board. We are loading kerosene and AGO for now.”

On his part, the Delta State Chairman of Surface Tank and Kerosene Peddlers branch of NUPENG, Kingsley Erituoyo, said, “For so many years the refinery was down, today the refinery is up.”

Findings at the Warri refinery by our correspondents showed limited truck movements in and out of the complex.

According to The Punch, the activities at WRPC were minimal compared to the refinery’s peak years when it operated at full capacity.

Industry sources revealed that more steps were needed by the Federal Government and NNPCL for the refinery to begin full production of PMS.

During the visit to the WRPC complex, it was also observed that the main entrance appeared almost deserted, with security operatives stopping journalists from taking photographs on the premises.

Sources inside the refinery shared that only one of the three units at the refinery was operational and producing diesel, gas, and kerosene.

“For now, only one unit is working at the refinery. You know there are three units, but only one is in operation, producing diesel, gas, and kerosene.

“The unit can’t give fuel for now. If the second unit starts working, it can produce PMS. It is the last unit to operate because it’s very big and complicated.

“If all units are working, we can load over 100 trucks daily, now it loaded about 50 trucks,” a source said.

Post Views: 28

BIG STORY

NDLEA Arrests Famous 61-Yr-Old Lagos Fabric Merchant Alhaja Ajoke Elediye For Drug Trafficking

Published

1 hour ago

January 5, 2025

PorscheClassy News

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) began the new year by arresting a wanted drug kingpin and Lagos socialite, 61-year-old Alhaja Aishat Feyisara Ajoke Elediye, on Wednesday, 1st January 2025, in her mansion at the Okota area of Lagos.

This followed the interception of a truckload of illicit drugs from her staff on the same day.

A statement released by the anti-drug agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, reveals that the suspect, known in the drug underworld as “Iya Ruka” and as Alhaja Ajoke in social circles, had her true identity concealed for years.

She had remained on the NDLEA’s wanted list for leading one of the drug cartels operating from the Mushin area of Lagos.

“The lid was, however, blown off her invincibility on Wednesday, 1st January 2025, when NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, intercepted a white Izuzu truck carrying 44 jumbo sacks containing 1,540 kilograms of imported cannabis, driven by one of her staff, 41-year-old Abideen Adio.

Subsequently, the operatives stormed her hideout at 33 Adebayo Oyewole Street, off Ago Palace Way, Okota, where they arrested her.”

Babafemi further stated that, on the surface, Alhaja Ajoke is a businesswoman who imports fabrics and shoes from China, but beneath that lies a vast illicit drug trade.

She is also recognized as the Iyalaje of Blessing Sisters, an influential club of society women in Lagos.

Post Views: 83

BIG STORY

Lagos Ministry Demolishes Illegal Gatehouse After Attack On Workers [PHOTOS]

Published

2 days ago

January 3, 2025

PorscheClassy News

The Lagos Ministry of Environment and Water Resources has commenced the demolition of an illegal gatehouse erected by the management of an estate on January 3, 2025.

The action follows repeated warnings from the ministry, which had earlier alerted the estate about the unlawful construction.

Sources revealed that the estate proceeded to build a soakaway system on the road immediately outside the entrance gate, despite several official warnings from the ministry.

This prompted the ministry’s task force to intervene on January 2, 2025, to dismantle the septic tank that was being constructed.

However, during the operation, workers from the ministry were reportedly attacked and locked up by the estate’s management.

In response to the harassment of its workers, the Lagos Ministry of Environment and Water Resources escalated its actions, directing the demolition of the illegal gatehouse on January 3, 2025.

The demolition is part of the ministry’s broader efforts to ensure that constructions adhere to legal and environmental standards.