There was a mild drama on the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, after Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairperson of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), was convicted and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

The judge, Okon Abang, ordered that the terms of imprisonment for all the 12 counts shall run concurrently from October 25, 2019, the date the convict was arraigned.

The judge, who ruled that Maina must refund money running over a billion naira to the federal government coffers, among others, also ordered that the company used for the unlawful act be wound up.

However, as officers of the Correctional Centre, Kuje, were taking Maina out of the court premises amid tight security, EFCC operatives drove two vehicles into the premises, blocking the correctional centre’s Hilux van.

The development led to hot arguments between the two opposing personnel as they corked their rifles in defence.

However, the prison officers stood their ground, refusing to allow the EFCC operatives, some of whom came in police uniform, to whisk Maina away.

A prison officer, who spoke to our correspondent anonymously shortly after the pandemonium, said the EFCC operatives had come in the name of rearresting Maina for another charge.

“They said they have a warrant to rearrest him after he was just convicted.

“Our own stand is that the court just convicted him and if they need to rearrest him, they should come through the court.

“The court will give the directive for us to obey,” the officer said.

NAN