Fugitive former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, Abulrasheed Maina, was early Friday produced at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to resume his trial.
Maina, who is being prosecuted by the EFCC on N2bn money laundering charges, had jumped bail and fled to Republic of Niger.
He was extradited to Nigeria on Thursday about two weeks after the court revoked his bail, ordered his arrest and directed that his trial would proceed in his absence pending when security agencies would be able to apprehend him.
He was produced in court at about 8.27 am ahead of the proceedings scheduled to commence by 9 am on Friday.
He sat between two EFCC operatives in the courtroom.
Maina last attended court in July and has subsequently missed up to six court sessions since September 29.
His trial has since proceeded in his absence following the court’s order of November 18, 2020, which the judge, Justice Okon Abang, issued following the defendant’s repeated absence from court.
Unable to produce the defendant, his surety, Senator Ali Ndume, was imprisoned by the court but later granted bail after spending five days in detention.