SAN FRANCISCO, March 28, (THEWILL) –Â The Federal High Court in Kaduna State has struck out a suit filed by the former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
THEWILL recalls that Maina was declared wanted by the EFCC for allegedly diverting recovered pension funds while serving as chairman of the pension reform task team.
However, he sued the anti-graft agency, on November 14, 2017, for what he described as an ineligibility of the commission to carry out its functions on the grounds that the 2004 EFCC Act is an illegality.
In the petition he filed through his lawyer, Muhammad Sani Katu, Maina urged the court to restrain the EFCC or any other security agency from arresting him over allegations of corruption.
However, at the previous sittings, Counsels to EFCC and Attorney General of the federation (AGF), who are also respondents, filed a preliminary objection arguing that the Federal High Court in Kaduna lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
Other respondents in the suit are the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Delivering his judgement on Wednesday, the presiding Judge, Justice Saleh Shuaibu struck out Maina’s suit for lack of substantial evidence to back his claims.
The judge upheld the preliminary objection by the EFCC lawyer and that of the AGF who had argued that since the main claim of the applicants was founded on mere speculation, their principal reliefs are not maintainable under the law.
