Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Pension Reform, has sued the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu and the EFCC over allegation of defamation of his character.
Maina, you will recall was accused of misappropriating a whopping N17bn out of the N24bn cash which the federal government set aside for payment of pension liabilities to its workers nationwide.
While Maina allegedly used commercial banks and family members and bureaux de change to launder N2.7 billion, he, in the same breath allegedly connived with other top officials of federal government agencies connected to pension management to steal another N14.374 billion between 2008 and 2013, based on allegations.
Despite being on the run after being declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged corruption, Maina was provided federal security cover.
Investigators have found that for months, Maina actually received official protection from operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services. It is alleged that the DSS also provided an accommodation for him at his controversial $2m house in Jabi, Abuja.
In the writ of summons, Maina’s counsel, James Onyilo asked the court for a declaration that the press interview granted Magu on November 30th and December 14th, 2017 are defamatory to with slanderous, untrue, injurious and intended to lower the reputation and integrity of the plaintiff in the estimation of right thinking members of the society and brought him to public ridicule, odium, contempt and derision.
He also asked the court to order the defendants to retract and publish an unreserved apology to the plaintiff in at least three daily newspapers within seven days from the day of the judgment.
He asked the court to restrain the EFCC boss from making comments considered defamatory of the plaintiff and for the court to make an order directing the defendants to pay jointly and severally, the sum of N10billion as damages for the publications.