BREAKING: [MONEY LAUNDERING] Maina Collapses In Court

Maina is being prosecuted on a 12-count charge of money laundering amounting to the tune of N2m.

The former pension boss collapsed at exactly 10:05 am when his counsel, Anayo Adibe was making submissions before the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang.

It would be recalled that on Wednesday, after the EFCC closed its case with 9 witnesses, Maina secured the permission of the court to enter a no-case-submission to the charges against him.

However, when the case was called on Thursday, Maina's lawyer, Mr. Anayo Adibe, told the court that his client would not be able to proceed with his application. Abide said he was unable to prepare the no-case-submission owing to the fact that he was not availed with records of proceedings of the court in the matter.

When the defence lawyer was about to make further submissions, Maina slumped beside the dock where the court permitted him to sit.

It was gathered that some lawyers and officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service quickly rushed to his aid, prompting Justice Abang to suspend sitting.

The EFCC had alleged that Maina used a bank account that was operated by his firm and laundered funds to the tune of about N2billion, part of which he used to acquire landed properties in Abuja.

It told the court that Maina used fictitious names to open and operate various bank accounts, as well as recruited his relatives that were bankers to operate fake bank accounts through which illicit funds were channelled.

The Prosecution added that the banks, opened phony accounts for the Defendant, without conducting due diligence to ascertain the true identities of the owners. It told the court that some of the bogus names Maina used to operate the accounts in a bid to conceal his true identity, included Aliyu Nafisatu and Dr. Abdullahi A. Fisal.

Among other crimes, the EFCC also alleged that Maina, in 2014, took possession of the sum of N171.91million that was paid into one of the accounts he operated with one bank.