21-Year-Old Son of Buhari's Ex-Appointee Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison
- After years of trial, the EFCC has secured another high-profile conviction at the Federal High Court in Abuja
- The court handed Faisal, the son of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, 14 years jail term
- Faisal was convicted on a three-count money laundering charge preferred against him by the EFCC
FCT, Abuja - Faisal Maina, the 21-year-old son of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered the judgement on Thursday, October 7, The Cable reported.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng gathers that the trial judge found Faisal guilty on a three-count money laundering charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the judge, the EFCC was able to establish that Faisal operated a fictitious bank account with a first-generation bank through which his father, Maina, laundered N58.1million.
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The court noted that the said fund which was deposited into the account that was operated in the name of Alhaji Faisal Farm 2, was subsequently withdrawn by Faisal and his father between October 2013 and June 2019.
The judge said he was satisfied that the ant-graft agency proved all the essential ingredients of the charge.
He added that the defendant reasonably ought to have known that inflows into the bank account formed proceeds of an unlawful act by his father.
On count one, Faisal was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, 14 years on count two and another five-year sentence on count three. The sentence is to run concurrently starting from judgment day.
Faisal failed to appear in court
Meanwhile, Justice Abang also ordered Faisal, who had since June 24, 2020 failed to appear for his trial, be arrested anywhere he is found in Nigeria and remanded in any Correctional Service Centre to serve his jail term, Channels TV also stated.
The judge held that if Faisa is not found in the country, the federal government should commence extradition proceedings against him.
The court ordered that the company through which the fund was laundered, Alhaji Faisal Farm 2, be wound up, and the funds in it forfeited to the government.
Nigerians react
Lasisi Aniki Ilyasu commented on Facebook:
"What goes round would come round, like father like son."
Linda Dan Ugorji said:
"Can you imagine when the pensioners are left to die in hunger, the father too should serve some prison sentence and their assets should be seized to recuperate some money back at least? Every day for the thief one day for the owner, it will catch up with all of them that's dragging the country down."
Mohammed Jibrin said:
"The prison should be with hard labour pls,I don't like nonsense of the highest order."
EFCC declares 24-year-old wanted
Meanwhile, the EFCC has solicited the help of Nigerians in locating a suspect who is wanted for alleged fraud.
The anti-graft agency in a statement shared on its official Facebook page on Monday, September 20, declared a 24-year-old identified as Adewale Daniel Jayeoba wanted.
Jayeoba, a native of Ori-Ade local government of Osun state is the marketing director of Wales Kingdom Capital. The EFCC noted that the suspect's last known address was suit 1004, Providence Centre, MKO Abiola Way, by NNPC mega station, Abeokuta, Ogun state.
Source: Legit.ng
