Pension fund saga: Maina sues Senate, IG, demanding N1.5bn damages

The chairman of the Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, has dragged the Senate and Inspector-General of Police before a Federal High Court in Abuja demanding a N1.5bn damages.

He is seeking among other things, the setting aside of the warrant of arrest issued against him by the police.

The plaintiff, in the suit filed by Mahmoud Magaji (SAN) and obtained by reporters on Wednesday, is also seeking  the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

Besides the Senate  and the Police chief,  other respondents are the Senate President, David Mark; Clerk of the Senate; Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service; Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration; Senator Aloysius Etuk (Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service), and Senator Kabiru Gaya (Chairman, Senate Committee on State and Local Government Administration).

Maina, who prayed the court to set aside the warrant of arrest by the IG against him on February 2, 2013, said the same constituted a violation of his rights as guaranteed under Section 35(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He urged the court to declare that the decision of the Senate, through its committees on Establishment and Public Service as well as the State and Local Government  Administration, directing his arrest and detention without any legal justification was unconstitutional, as it  violated section 36(1) and section 6 (6) B of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The plaintiff also sought an order restraining some of the respondents and their agents from interfering with the management and administration of PRTT.

Maina, who prayed the court to issue an order of perpetual injunction, restraining the respondents or their agents from further harassing him, also solicited the quashing of the Senate resolution on his arrest.

The case will come up for mention on Monday, February 11.