Former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, says he is suffering from a life-threatening disease.
He said this in an ex-parte motion Ibrahim Idris, his lawyer, filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1729/2022, was dated and filed on Sept. 27.
Maina (the applicant) listed the Minister of Interior and Controller General, C-G, of Nigerian Correctional Services Centre as 1st and 2nd respondents respectively.
In the application, Maina, who is currently serving his jail term at Kuje Prison, prayed court for an interim order directing the minister and the C-G to immediately take him to a reputable and recognised hospital for treatment of his life-threatening diseases pending the hearing and determination of his originating motion.
Additionally, he prayed to grant him leave to effect the service of the order, the originating motion, and other subsequent processes on the respondents by substituted means.
According to the motion, “Applicant is in a critical health condition that requires urgent medical attention, hence the need for prayer one on the face of this application.
“Applicant’s fundamental rights to life, the dignity of the human person and freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are seriously under challenge and continually being breached by the respondents.”.
At the hearing of the motion at the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday, Maina’s lawyer, urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.
Inyang Ekwo, the presiding judge, in his ruling, granted the applicant leave for substituted service.
He said Maina can effect service of the order and other processes on the minister through any member of staff at the ministry of interior in Abuja, while that of the comptroller-general can be delivered to any officer of the NCoS headquarters in Abuja.
Ekwo also ordered the applicant to put the respondents on notice within three days of the order, and adjourned the matter until October 24 for hearing of the motion.
Justice Okon Abang of a FHC had, on Nov. 8, 2021, convicted and sentenced Maina to eight years’ imprisonment for misappropriating N2 billion pension fund while serving as chairman of PRTT.
