EFCC Declares Maina Wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdularasheed Maina, wanted over an alleged case of receiving stolen property.

The anti-graft agency announced this in a wanted notice posted on its X handle and signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.

The EFCC said Maina, 61, is an indigene of Biu, Borno State, and is wanted in connection with the alleged offence.

“The public is hereby notified that Abdularasheed Abdullahi Maina, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of receiving stolen property,” the commission said.

The agency urged anyone with information about Maina’s whereabouts to assist in locating him.

“Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices,” it added.

The EFCC also asked members of the public with relevant information to contact the commission through its designated telephone line or email address, [email protected].

It further urged people with information to report to the nearest police station or other security agencies.

The commission’s notice did not provide further details about the alleged stolen property case or state when the alleged offence occurred.

The latest development comes amid Maina’s long-running legal troubles over allegations linked to pension funds.

Maina was previously declared wanted by the EFCC after he failed to appear for trial in a case involving an alleged N2 billion fraud linked to the pension reform programme.

He was arrested in Niger Republic in 2019 and brought back to Nigeria to face trial.

In November 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Maina and sentenced him to eight years in prison for money laundering offences.

Reports on the case said the prosecution had linked him to the handling of funds allegedly derived from unlawful activities.

The Nigerian Correctional Service later disclosed that Maina was released from custody on February 25, 2025, after serving part of his sentence.

The service attributed his release to good conduct in prison and said it was carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.