Pension fund: Maina files N10b suit against Magu, commission

Former Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) Chairman Abdulrasheed Maina has sued Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Ibrahim Magu and the agency for alleged defamation of character.

The suit dated January 15 and filed on his behalf by his counsel, Mr. James Onyilo, before a High Court of Justice, Lafia, accused Magu of granting media interview, which were slanderous, untrue and malicious.

In the writ of summons, Maina’s counsel asked the court for a declaration that the interview granted by Magu on November 30 and December 14, 2017 were defamatory, injurious and intended to lower the reputation and integrity of the plaintiff in the estimation of right-thinking members of the society and brought him to public ridicule, odium, contempt and derision.

He asked the court to order the defendants to retract and publish an apology to the plaintiff in at least three daily newspapers within seven days from the day of the judgment.
Maina urged the court to restrain the EFCC boss from making comments considered defamatory to him.

He asked for an order directing the defendants to pay jointly and severally N10billion  as damages for the publications.

In the statement of claim, Onyilo said: “The 1st defendant (Magu), who has a personal score and vendetta to settle with the plaintiff using the instrumentality of the 2nd defendant  (EFCC), maliciously embarked on a campaign of calumny against the plaintiff.”