Judge challenges delay tactics in pension thief Maina’s N738m fraud trial

JUSTICE Abubakar Kutigi did not hide his frustration as proceedings resumed at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Asokoro on Friday. From the bench, he made it clear that the long-running trial of a pension thief, Abdulrasheed Maina, could not continue to drift under the weight of repeated adjournments and changes of legal representation.

For years, the case, which was filed in 2019, has tested the patience of the court. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Maina, former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), alongside Ann Igwe Olachi, on a 9-count charge bordering on the alleged receipt of stolen funds totalling N738,612,019.99.

When the matter was called for a scheduled trial-within-trial, Justice Kutigi expected to proceed. Instead, he was met with yet another application for adjournment – this time from a newly engaged defence counsel, Mr Emmanuel Wuyi.

From his vantage point on the bench, the pattern was unmistakable. Counsel informed the court that he had only just been briefed and needed two weeks to familiarise himself with the case. He also cited ill health on the part of the first defendant and suggested the possibility of resolving the matter with the prosecution.

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But Justice Kutigi’s response was pointed. “Two weeks for what?” he asked, voicing the fatigue that had built up over years of stalled proceedings. “Everybody is ready; everybody is tired.”

The judge stressed that while the court was committed to ensuring a fair hearing for all parties, fairness must not be weaponised as a shield for delay. He noted that each time an adjournment was granted, a new lawyer appeared for the defendant, a cycle that, in his view, threatened the integrity of the judicial process.

“When there is an adjournment, he will go and hire a new lawyer,” Kutigi observed. “And when we insist we will go on, you will now say you were denied a fair hearing.”

His frustration was evident as he remarked that he had lost count of the number of lawyers who had represented Maina since the case began. For the judge, the constant reshuffling of defence counsel raised serious concerns about the pace and direction of the trial.

“The integrity of what we do here is critical and important,” he said firmly, underscoring the court’s responsibility not only to the defendant but also to the public interest.

The prosecution echoed the court’s concerns. EFCC counsel, Mr Francis Usani, opposed the request for adjournment, pointing out that witnesses were already present for the trial-within-trial. He further revealed that the defence had recently filed multiple applications, including motions challenging the court’s jurisdiction, seeking a stay of proceedings, requesting travel permission, and filing an appeal application.

Judge questions what Maina wants

Justice Kutigi questioned the apparent contradiction in the defence’s approach. “How can you say you want to do this case, and at the same time you filed applications of jurisdiction, stay of proceedings and so on?” he asked. “What do you really want?”

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To the judge, clarity of purpose was essential. The court could not simultaneously entertain efforts to halt proceedings while preparing to move forward with substantive arguments. He directed the defence to decide on a clear strategy before the next adjourned date.

Faced with the court’s firm stance, defence counsel made an oral application to withdraw the motion for stay of proceedings dated February 10, 2026. The court granted the withdrawal and adjourned the case to February 26 for continuation of the trial-within-trial.

For Justice Kutigi, the message was unmistakable: the case must move forward. Maina, who was recently released from Kuje prison after serving jail time following a conviction for pension fraud, remains at the centre of one of the country’s most closely watched corruption cases. Earlier this month, his media assistant claimed he had slumped at his office and was hospitalised. This was another development that briefly cast uncertainty over proceedings.

But from the bench in Asokoro, Justice Kutigi signalled that the court’s patience has limits. After years of adjournments, shifting legal teams, and procedural applications, the judge appears determined to steer the case toward substantive resolution, insisting that the defendant must finally stand and answer to the charges before the court.