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Maina’s younger sister testifies against him

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Fatima Abdullahi, the younger sister of the former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, told the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday that the defendant used her picture to operate an account without her knowledge.

Fatima, who was brought as a prosecution witness by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), said she never knew that Maina was operating an account with her details until she was arrested after she went to bank to complain about her blocked Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card.

Identifying herself as a civil servant and resident of Kaduna, the woman told the court that she and Maina were from the same parents.

The witness said she never heard of a company called Common Input and Investment Nigeria Limited, which was charged alongside her brother.

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Narrating how she got to know about the company, the witness said: “Sometimes in August, 2019, I went to the ATM unit of Diamond Access Bank to withdraw some money. Unfortunately, I could not. So, I went inside the bank to see the manager to complain. The manager told me to hold on, that he would find out the reason.

“After waiting for an hour, the manager told me that I was under arrest and he took me to an office and asked me to wait for the EFCC official to come and take me to their office in Kaduna.

“That was when the manager told me that my accounts were blocked. So when the EFCC official came, they took me to their office for questioning. When we got there, the officials were asking me if I know any company by the name Common Input, to which I told them I do not. In fact, that was the first time I was hearing about the name.

“They told me that there was a transaction in Common Input and I told them I am not aware of the transaction. So, they made me to write a statement.

“Afterwards, I was given an administrative bail on the same day and that I should proceed to the EFCC office in Abuja the next day.

“The next day, I went to the Abuja office together with my lawyer. The officials also asked me if I know any company by the name Common Input, to which I say I do not. So, they presented a CAC incorporation form of the company where the name Fatima Samaila Abdullahi was stated together with my date of birth but the phone number on the form is not my own. Even the name as stated on the form is not my name as my full name is Fatima Abdullahi.”

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