Breaking: EFCC Declares Abdulrasheed Maina Wanted Again, Reason Emerges
- The EFCC issued a public notice declaring Abdulrasheed Maina wanted over an alleged case of receiving stolen properties
- The notice came years after a Federal High Court convicted Maina on multiple counts of money laundering and ordered him to refund N314 million
- The EFCC urged anyone with information on Maina's whereabouts to reach out to its offices across Nigeria or contact the nearest police station
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reformed Task Team, wanted in connection with an alleged case of receiving stolen property.
A public notice signed by the EFCC's Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Wednesday, September 23, confirmed the development. The Commission called on Nigerians with any knowledge of Maina's location to report to its offices or other security agencies without delay.
Source: Twitter
The notice read:
"The public is hereby notified that ABDULRASHEED ABDULLAHI MAINA, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Receiving Stolen Properties."
The EFCC listed its offices in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kaduna, Ilorin, Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, and Gombe as contact points. Members of the public may also reach the Commission via email at info@efcc.gov.ng or report to the nearest police station.
EFCC issues fresh wanted notice
The EFCC first arraigned Maina alongside his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 25, 2019. During the trial, Maina jumped bail in 2020, prompting Justice Abang to order his arrest. He was later found in the Republic of Niger and returned to Abuja in December 2020, after which he was held at a correctional facility while proceedings continued.
Justice Abang eventually convicted Maina on multiple counts. He received five years on Count 2, eight years each on Counts 3, 4, and 7, two years on Count 5, three years on Count 8, and five years each on Counts 6 and 9. The court also ordered him to refund N314 million to the Federal Government.
In delivering his ruling, Justice Abang said:
"Having considered how the pensioners' funds were stolen, the convict is inhuman, heartless and has no compassion for the pensioners. Some have suffered, died in the process while waiting for their reward on earth."
On October 7, 2021, Maina's son, Faisal Maina, was also convicted and sentenced by the same court. In 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld Maina's conviction, affirming the lower court's findings.
The latest wanted notice marks a fresh chapter in a legal saga that has stretched over several years, as the EFCC continues its push to bring Maina to account for the new allegation of receiving stolen property.
Read the EFCC's latest public notice on Maina below via the X post:
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EFCC arrests Fred Ajudua in Abuja
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the EFCC arrested Fred Ajudua, a Lagos-based socialite and businessman, in connection with an alleged $1.43 million fraud.
The arrest took place in Abuja following a Supreme Court order which revoked Ajudua's bail and directed that he be remanded in the Correctional Service.
Source: Legit.ng
