The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team Abdulrasheed Maina wanted again, just months after he served his eight years jail term finish. The 61-year-old faces fresh allegations of receiving stolen property following a long history of high-profile fraud trials and convictions.
The anti-graft agency announced the fresh wanted notice for Abdulrasheed Maina on its official X handle. The notice, signed by Dele Oyewale, directs anyone with information on Maina’s location to contact law enforcement immediately.
The announcement arrives following a wanted notice published on its official X handle on Wednesday, marking another chapter in the former official’s legal troubles. Maina, an indigene of Biu in Borno State, led the Pension Reform Task Team from 2010 to 2013 before his tenure unraveled amid corruption investigations.
The New Wanted Notice and Contact Instructions
According to the commission’s public alert, investigators want to question the 61-year-old in connection with an alleged case of receiving stolen property. The agency did not immediately disclose the specific properties involved or the exact date the alleged offense occurred.
To facilitate the search, the agency instructed anyone with actionable intelligence to contact the commission through its designated telephone line or email address at security@efcc.gov.ng. The commission listed numerous regional offices across the country to receive tips from the public regarding his whereabouts.
Citizens can reach out to commission personnel in Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, or Abuja. Authorities also advised that informants can report directly to the nearest police station or other security agencies.
Prior Convictions and Prison Release Timeline
This is not the first time the former task force leader has faced enforcement action from the anti-graft agency. Maina was previously declared wanted after failing to appear for trial in a separate case involving an alleged N2 billion fraud linked to the pension reform programme. Following that evasion, authorities located and arrested him in 2019, bringing him back to face the judiciary.
His subsequent prosecution led to a conviction in November 2021, when a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to eight years in prison for money laundering offenses. Prosecutors established that he had handled funds derived from unlawful activities, utilized staff to open unauthorized bank accounts without due diligence, and concealed his identity behind accounts opened in the names of family members.
However, Maina did not serve the full duration behind bars. The Nigerian Correctional Service disclosed that he was released from custody on February 25, 2025, after serving part of his sentence. Prison officials attributed his early release to good conduct, stating the decision complied with applicable laws and regulations.
A Decade of Financial Scandals and Asset Tracing
Maina’s involvement in pension administration dates back to his time as a senior administrator for the Customs, Immigration, and Prison Pensions Office before his appointment to chair the reform task team in 2010. By 2012, accusations of corruption surfaced, resulting in his dismissal from the federal civil service in 2013 and a subsequent stint in hiding reportedly based in Dubai.
Court proceedings over the years revealed sprawling assets tied to the former pension boss. In October 2019, a Federal High Court ordered him to surrender 23 landed properties traced to his name across Abuja, Kaduna, Borno, and Nasarawa states. Testimony from trial witnesses further detailed international holdings, including properties in Dubai, the United States, and a $2 million property located in Jabi, Abuja.
Family members have also become entangled in the legal fallout. His son, Faisal Maina, faced parallel money laundering charges, resulting in a separate 14-year prison sentence. With the latest declaration by the anti-graft agency, authorities are once again working to track down the former pension administrator as fresh inquiries into stolen property unfold.