Nigeria, Feb. 27 -- Abdulrasheed Maina, the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), failed to appear before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Asokoro, Abuja, on Thursday, once again stalling a trial-within-trial convened to determine the admissibility of his extrajudicial statements to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The development drew a sharp rebuke from trial judge Abubakar Kutigi who threatened to revoke Mr Maina's bail and warned that he would not allow his court to be mocked.

"If your client cannot come to court, I will revoke his bail and let them go and get him," Mr Kutigi told the defence lawyer. "The last time he appeared in court was more than three years ago. I am...