The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday denied issuing a bench warrant for the arrest of the ex-Chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Force, Mr. Abdul-Rasheed Maina.
The EFCC stated this in a counter-affidavit deposed to by one of its litigation officers, Yusuf Musa, at the Federal High Court, Kaduna.
The commission, in the counter-affidavit, described as false a claim by Maina that the anti-graft agency had issued a warrant for his arrest.
Maina, in a written address in support of a summons he filed at the court on Wednesday, was seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from arresting him.
Besides the EFCC, other defendants in the suit filed by the former PPRTF boss at the Federal High Court are the Attorney General of the Federation, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The EFCC in its counter-affidavit said Maina’s claim was untrue, adding that it did not issue a bench warrant against or for his arrest.
The counter-affidavit partly read, “That paragraph 4(g) of the plaintiff’s affidavit is denied as false because the 1st defendant has no power to issue a bench warrant and has not issued any bench warrant against or for the arrest of the plaintiff.”
The anti-graft commission noted that it would be in the interest of justice for the court not to grant a perpetual order restraining it from carrying out its lawful duties.
“That it will be in the interest of justice to refuse and dismiss the plaintiffs originating summons for lacking in merit,” the agency said.
In the suit he filed at the Federal High Court also in Kaduna against the EFCC, AGF, the Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives, Maina challenged the legality of the EFCC to declare him wanted.
