Timothy Olanrewaju Maiduguri
Family of embattled Sen Ali Ndume who was ordered to be remanded in prison by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday over the failure to produce Mr Abdukrasheed Maina, ex-Chairman of defunct Pension Reform Task Team has pleaded for leniency.
In their first reaction to the court order on their breadwinner, the family told some newsmen including The Sun at the senator house in Maiduguri, state capital on Tuesday they were saddened with the news.
They said Sen Ndume’s volunteered guarantee or act as surety for Mr Maina bail as the political leader from southern Borno where the former pension boss also hail from. Ndume represents the southern Borno in the Senate.
“We are pleading for leniency for Senator Ndume. He is our leader and all of us are not happy about what Alhaji Abdulrasheed Maina did. He didnt do well. He failed Southern Borno people and failed the whole people of Borno,” a family member Alhaji Alhaji Garga Kojofa, said
Also a brother to the senator, Mohammed Idrissa begged the court to temper justice with mercy. He described Ndume’s present predicament as a case of good heart turned bad. He also asked Maina to come back to face his charges so that the Senator can be freed. He urged the former pension boss not to pay good deed with evil, pleading with the court to show humanity even in its ruling.
A Federal High Court on Monday ordered the remand of Sen Neume at Kuje Prison. The court said Ndume failed to produce Mr Maina having entered into bond or failed to file application to show why he should not forfeit the bail bond of N500 million.
Ndume had told the court he stood as surety for the accused person because he hails from his constituency, southern Borno. Abdukrasheed Maina is facing 12 count charges of money laundering. He has failed to appear in court after he was granted bail.
