N2.1bn Fraud Case Against Fugitive Ex-Pension Boss, Maina Dropped, Name Disappears From Watch List

There are feasible probabilities that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has gave up on the hunt for the Chairman of the inoperative Pension Reform Task Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, indicted for #2.1bn pension biometric scam.

Leakers.ng gathered that EFCC is no longer interested in the case following the fact that the ex-director was promoted after his controversial reinstatement into the civil service without sitting for the mandatory promotion examination by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government in 2017 which makes him enjoy official protection.

Some sources revealed that the commission had abandoned the hunt for Maina, noting that “he is more or less a free man now.”


"Is anyone talking about Maina again? He is no longer a fugitive and the EFCC has abandoned the hunt for him. If you are in doubt, ask Ibrahim Magu (acting EFCC Chairman) for update on his case and hear what he would tell you”, a source also complemented.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said there was no update on the manhunt for the former director.

Maina fled the country in 2013 when EFCC declared him wanted for #2.1bn pension biometric scam, leaving his ambition to become the governor and rule of his home state, Borno state.

He fled to the United Arab Emirates where he hibernated and didn't communicate with anybody in the country for three years until he allegedly met the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, in Dubai in 2016 and he was reportedly guaranteed of his safety in Nigeria.

Shortly after the meeting, his name was reportedly taken off the wanted list of the EFCC, his name was also taken off the watch list at the nation’s international airports and he had been visiting the country more frequently.

It was gathered that the former PRTT chairman was being protected from arrest and prosecution by top officials in the Presidency and the Ministry of Justice.

Our correspondent also learnt that the former director, who was also placed on the International Police wanted list, was always in the country rubbing shoulders with senior officials.

A source claimed that Maina was “a friend of the government, no enforcement agency would dare take him into custody.”

Malami had, in November 2017, admitted before a Senate ad hoc panel probing Maina’s reinstatement into the civil service that he met with the former PRTT boss in Dubai.

Sequel to this, Maina resumed at the Ministry of Interior where he was promoted as Director, Human Resources Department, without sitting for the mandatory promotion examination.

Against the backdrop of the revelations, the President ordered the sacking of the director and the Senate also set up an ad-hoc committee to determine the circumstances that led to the return of Maina to the country and his reinstatement into the service despite being on the security watch list.

But the report of the committee headed by the then Chairman, Senate Committee on Establishments and Public Services, Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP, Bayelsa Central), was not released till the tenure of the eight Senate lapsed.

Maina in January 2019, secured a court order stopping the EFCC from declaring him wanted.

Justice Giwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court described the action of the anti-graft agency in declaring Maina wanted as unlawful, but the commission vowed to appeal against the order.

When asked if the commission had appealed the court order obtained by Maina against his arrest, the EFCC spokesman pleaded for time to find out from the commission’s director of legal department.


He later said he could not reach the director as calls to his phone rang out.

Checks, however, showed that Maina is still listed as a wanted person on the EFCC website.

https://leakers.ng/news/1621-n2-1bn-fraud-case-against-fugitive-ex-pension-boss-maina-dropped-as-name-disappears-from-watch-list/

Lalasticlala Mynd44 Dominique

A nother
P olitical
C riminal

Fake news!