Tight Security In Federal High Court Abuja, As EFCC Arraigns Maina, Son

Security in and around the Federal High Court, Abuja, was on Friday beefed up by operatives of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission as Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team, is to be arraigned.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Maina’s son, Faisal, is also being arraigned in the same court on a separate but similar charge.

Maina and his son were putting on white caftan with dark blue caps.

The case was, however, yet to be mentioned as at the time of filing the report at 10:30 am.

NAN reports that the anti-graft agency is arraigning the former pension task team chairman on a 12-count bordering on “money laundering, operating fictitious bank accounts and fraud.”

The development is coming after Folashade Ogunbanjo, a judge, ordered the forfeiture of 23 property linked to him.

The judge gave the order following an ex part motion filed by the EFCC

EFCC’s motion was supported by a 30-paragraph affidavit which is brought pursuant to section 17 of Anti-money Laundering Act.

Maina is accused of being involved in pension fraud running into over N100 billion.

The Federal Civil Service Commission dismissed him in 2013 for “absconding from duty” but he returned to the country in 2017 and was reinstated as a director in the interior ministry.

Following the outrage, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered his dismissal and demanded a probe of his recall.