The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, son of former Pension Reform Task Team chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, and handed him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Faisal was reportedly arrested in the Karsana area of Abuja after security operatives received intelligence indicating that he had secretly returned to Nigeria.

According to security sources, he had been on the run since 2020 after facing prosecution by the EFCC on charges bordering on money laundering and conspiracy.

His arrest is expected to facilitate the enforcement of the court judgment against him.

Faisal Maina Convicted in 2021

Faisal was prosecuted by the EFCC on a three-count charge involving money laundering and conspiracy. His trial continued in his absence after he reportedly violated his bail conditions and fled the country.

In October 2021, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

The court found that Faisal operated an account with United Bank for Africa (UBA) in the name of Alhaji Faisal Farm 2, which was allegedly used to launder ₦58.1 million.

According to the court, the funds were deposited into the account and subsequently withdrawn by Faisal and his father between October 2013 and June 2019.

Court of Appeal Reduced Sentence to Seven Years

In November 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld Faisal’s conviction but reduced his prison sentence from 14 years to seven years.

The appellate court ruled that the maximum sentence imposed by the trial court was inappropriate for a first-time offender.

The original judgment had ordered that Faisal be arrested wherever he was found in Nigeria and remanded in a correctional facility to serve his sentence.

It also directed the Federal Government to take lawful steps to secure his extradition if he was found outside the country.

EFCC Takes Custody After DSS Arrest

Security sources said Faisal’s transfer to the EFCC was intended to enable the commission to enforce the court’s judgment and ensure that he serves his sentence in accordance with the law.

The arrest follows years of reported absence from Nigeria after his conviction.

His father, Abdulrasheed Maina, who formerly headed the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, was also convicted in a separate case involving the laundering of pension funds.