By Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

The Federal Government has contacted the United States of America (U.S.A) and Niger Republic in its efforts to execute the arrest warrant issued by a court in Abuja against former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, believed to have jumped bail.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stated this in the counter-affidavit it filed against the bail application before a Federal High Court in Abuja by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume.

The court, before which Maina is being tried for money laundering had, on November 18, revoked the bail granted him and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

“The prosecution has obtained the bench warrant and it is making frantic efforts to execute it while enlisting the support of other security agencies in the country as well as some foreign governments, particularly the Republic of Niger and the United States of America,” the EFCC said in the countr-afidavit.

The anti-graft agency urged the court to reject Ndume’s bail application, arguing that it was a ploy for him to evade the consequences of serving as a surety for a fleeing defendant and avoid meeting the condition set by the court for his release.

Arguing the counter-affidavit yesterday after Ndume’s lawyer, Marcel Oru, moved the bail application, the prosecuting lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, argued that since Ndume had appealed the order for his remand, he should await the decision of the Court of Appeal.

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“So, it is our submission that our selling of the property is dependable on the inability or failure of the applicant to pay the N500 million. And, until he informs us of his inability, we cannot sell the property. This is to forestall double payment,” he said.

Oru had, while arguing earlier, said his bail application was intended to have his client released from custody pending the determination of his appeal, which he said could take a while.

The lawyer noted that with the fate that had befallen his client, “only God knows from the lesson learnt, whether a Nigerian with a good heart will ever stand surety for anyone anymore”.

He urged the court to consider his client’s application within the peculiar circumstances in which Ndume was sent to a correctional centre and grant him bail.

Oru urged the court to consider the fact that Ndume is also the Chairman of Senate Committee on Army, over-sighting the activities of the Army, which is fighting terrorism and internal security challenges in 33 states of the federation.

The lawyer stressed that Ndume is also a member of three other critical committees of the Senate: Health, Establishment and Public Service and Special Duties.

He said his client raised serious issues of law in the appeal he filed, adding that one of them was his contention that the only order the trial court ought to make was “to order the forfeiture of landed property, as deposed to in the applicant affidavit in respect of the property whose title deed is in custody of the court”.

Oru argued that Ndume was imprisoned without trial as he ought to have been given opportunities to call witnesses, give evidences and, if found guilty, allowed to make a plea of allocutus (mercy).

Ndume was not in court on Thursday.

Justice Okon Abang, after listening to arguments by the lawyers, adjourned till today for ruling.