The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Maina, son of former Pension Reform Task Team chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, following intelligence reports that he had secretly returned to Nigeria.
Faisal was reportedly arrested in the Karsana area of Abuja before being transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further action over his previous money laundering conviction.
A security source familiar with the operation said the arrest followed intelligence gathered by the DSS after Faisal’s return to the country.
“His arrest followed credible intelligence which indicated that Faisal had secretly returned to the country,” the source said.
The source added that operatives tracked him to Karsana, where he was apprehended before being handed over to the EFCC.
Faisal had been wanted since 2020, following his prosecution by the anti-graft agency over allegations of money laundering.
His arrest brings renewed attention to the legal proceedings involving the family, which has been linked to one of Nigeria’s major pension fund corruption cases.
In October 2021, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Faisal on money laundering charges and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.
The judgment followed a trial in which the EFCC accused him of using a fictitious bank account to conceal funds allegedly connected to his father.
The trial was presided over by Justice Okon Abang, who held that the prosecution had established its case against Faisal.
The court examined transactions involving an account operated with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) in the name of Alhaji Faisal Farm 2.
According to the findings presented during the trial, about N58.1 million was deposited into the account between October 2013 and June 2019.
The funds were allegedly withdrawn by Faisal and his father during the period under investigation.
The prosecution maintained that the account was used to move money linked to the alleged diversion of pension funds.
The court subsequently found Faisal guilty and imposed a 14-year prison sentence.
However, the case took another turn in November 2022 when the Court of Appeal reviewed the conviction and reduced the sentence from 14 years to seven years.
The appellate court upheld the conviction but ruled that the trial court should not have imposed the maximum sentence on a first-time offender.
The decision therefore reduced the period of imprisonment while leaving the conviction intact.
Faisal’s reported return to Nigeria and subsequent arrest have raised fresh questions about the enforcement of the court’s judgment and the steps that may follow his transfer to the EFCC.
His current legal position and the specific action the commission intends to take following the handover have not been detailed in the information available about the arrest.
The EFCC is expected to establish the next steps in handling the case, including the implications of the existing conviction and the appellate court’s decision.
Any further proceedings would depend on the applicable court orders and the commission’s assessment of the matter.
The development also revives attention to the investigation and prosecution involving Abdulrasheed Maina, whose tenure as chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team ended amid allegations of large-scale pension fund fraud.
Maina was prosecuted over the alleged diversion and laundering of pension funds.
His case attracted national attention because the funds were intended for pensioners, including retired public servants who had depended on their entitlements after years of service.
The former pension task force chairman was eventually convicted in a separate case involving the laundering of funds linked to the pension fraud allegations.
He served a prison term before his release, although his legal troubles have continued to draw public interest.
The pension fund scandal exposed concerns about the management of retirement benefits and the safeguards in place to protect public funds.
The investigations also led to scrutiny of financial transactions, properties and accounts allegedly connected to Maina and members of his family.
Further clarification from the EFCC or relevant authorities may be needed to establish whether Faisal will be taken before a court in connection with the execution of his sentence or whether any additional legal process will be initiated.
The authorities have yet to provide further public details about the circumstances of his return, how long he had been in Nigeria before his arrest, or whether other individuals assisted him during the period he was reportedly on the run.
