Sudden collapse in the dock of the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Taskforce Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, on Thursday, during the resumed hearing in his N2bn money laundering trial disrupted proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The court’s sitting was scheduled for the hearing of Maina’s no-case submission, following the close of the prosecution’s case with nine witnesses earlier on Wednesday.
The incident occurred as the defence lawyer, Anayo Adibe, was briefing the judge, Justice Okon Abang, that his team had yet to receive the records of proceedings requested from the court’s registry.
A loud thud from Maina’s sudden fall drew attention to the dock.
Prison officials rushed forward to attend to the collapsed defendant.
Justice Abang immediately suspended proceedings and ordered that the court rise for about five minutes.