Pension Scam: Court stops Senate from arresting Maina

Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Wednesday   issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, from arresting the embattled Chairman of the disbanded Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina. The court made the order after it vacated the warrant of arrest that was issued against him by the Nigerian Senate. Senate had declared the ex-pension boss wanted following his alleged refusal to appear before it to explain his alleged complicity in the illegal diversion of funds meant for pensioners across the federation. Abdulrasheed Maina Meantime, sequel to intensified bid by the Senate to apprehend him for questioning, Maina, approached the high court, alleging threat to his fundamental human right to life and liberty as enshrined in section 35 of the 1999 constitution. Arguing through his lawyer Mr M. A Magaji, SAN, Maina, insisted that the Senate acted beyond its powers when it ordered his arrest, contending that “nowhere in the entire provision of section 89 of the 1999 constitution which was relied upon by the Senate, was the word ‘Arrest’ mentioned. He equally adduced eleven exhibits he said would prove that he was being witch-hunted unnecessarily, just as he urged the court to award to him the sum of N1.5billion “for the trauma, psychological pain they have subjected me to.” Vanguard