Crime Inside Nigeria Investigation

EFCC: How We Nailed Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, Poster Boy for Pension Fraud

Shola Oshunkeye November 9, 2021

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The EFCC continues to bring to justice pension fraudsters, as Faisal, son of a former Chairman, Pension Reform Task Team, bags jail-term

For many elderly men and women who toiled day and night to serve their fatherland in various capacities, but who have been victims of pension fraud, Thursday, October 7, 2021 was, no doubt, a respite. That day, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, today Thursday, October 7, 2021 convicted and sentenced Faisal, the son of a former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Abdulrasheed Maina, to 14 years imprisonment.

The Court found Faisal guilty on a three-count charge of money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

One of the charges reads: “That you Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, (alias Alh Faisal Abdullahi Farms), between October 2013 and June 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, controlled an aggregate sum of N58,111,585.00 (Fifty-eight Million, One Hundred and Eleven Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty-five Naira) only, paid through the United Bank for Africa (UBA) account of Alh. Faisal Abdullahi Farms, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: corruption of one Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, who is facing a separate charge and thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as (amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) and (4) of the same Act”.

Justice Abang held that he was satisfied that the EFCC proved all the essential ingredients of the charge, stressing that the defendant ought to have known that inflows into the bank account formed proceeds of an unlawful act of corruption by his father.

He sentenced the defendant to five years in count one and three, and 14 years on count two of the charge.

The sentences are to run concurrently, starting from the date of conviction.

The court ordered that the defendant, who has been at large since June 24, 2020, be arrested anywhere he is found in Nigeria and remanded in any Correctional Service Centre to serve his jail term. Indeed, in the course of the trial, the EFCC had informed the Court that its investigations revealed that upon being granted bail, Faisal had fled to the United States.

The court further held that in the event that the defendant is traced to anywhere outside the country, the Federal Government should take lawful steps to effect his extradition to serve his jail term.

The court also ordered that the company through which the fund was laundered, Alhaji Faisal Farm 2, be wound up, with funds in it forfeited to the Federal Government.

Today’s judgment brings to an end a trial in which the defendant twice jumped bail, forcing the court to revoke his bail and ordered the forfeiture of the bail bond provided by his surety and member of House of Representatives, Sani Dan-Galadima. The EFCC team led by M.S. Abubakar, closed its case against him after it called three witnesses and tendered documents that were admitted in evidence.

Father on the edge

Convicted pension thief, Abdulrasheed MainaMaina

Meanwhile, as the manhunt for Faisal continues, even with his sentencing delivered by the Court, his father, Maina, will know his fate on November 8, 2021. (Pension thief, Abdulrasheed Maina, was actually jailed eight years on Monday, November 8, 2021)

His trial before Justice Abang, has also witnessed several twists and turns, notably his jumping bail, which resulted in the remand of his surety, Ali Ndume, a Senator. He was eventually picked up in the Republic of Niger, and brought back to Nigeria to continue with his trial for an alleged N2 billion fraud.

Before his trial could commence on October 25, 2019, the EFCC had to declare him wanted, putting his name on an international watchlist, as he previously evaded arrests.

At the last sitting on October 10, 2021, three days after the conviction of his son, the prosecution adopted its written address and prayed the Court to convict him of the 12 counts filed against him.

Abdulrasheed Maina in court (Photo credit: Channels Television)

One of the counts against Maina reads: “That you Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina (alias Dr Abdullahi Faizal) between 2012 and 2016, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, took possession of an aggregate sum of N1,822,074,690.00 (One Billion, Eight Hundred and Twenty-two Million, Seventy-four Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety Naira), through your Fidelity Bank account (in the name of Dr Abdullahi A. Faizal), when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds, formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: corruption, and you hereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as (amended) and punishable under Section15(3) of the same Act.”

Battle against pension fraudsters

The EFCC’s battle against pension fraudsters is one that has been waged for the past decade. It has yielded fruits with several convictions.

Recently, Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court sitting Maiduguri, convicted Mohammed Nazir Auwalu and Sani Musa for offences bordering on criminal misappropriation to the tune of N25,780,888.38 contrary to Section 308 and punishable under Section 309 of the Penal Code Cap. 102 Laws of Borno State.

The defendants who have never held any pensionable appointment, received the sum as pension from the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) from September 2010 to April 2018. The lid on the scam was blown by Polaris Bank which reported the fraud to the Commission.

The Sokoto Command of the EFCC also recently arraigned five senior officials of the Sokoto State Primary Education Staff Pension Board before Justice Muhammad Muhammad of the Sokoto State High Court, Sokoto, on a 27-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, forgery, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of the sum of N553,985,624.10.

The defendants include the Director of Finance and Supply, Hassana Moyi; Secretary, Abubakar Aliyu; Deputy director, Halliru Ahmed; Accountant, Kabiru Ahmed and Dahiru Muhammad Isa, Cashier. Their trial is ongoing.

Justice K.I. Okpe of the Enugu State High Court, has also convicted Akpudili Chrisian Anayo for defrauding the state of N13 million pension fund. The state had petitioned the Commission after it uncovered Anayo’s misdeed. As an ad-hoc staff engaged for the verification exercise of the state’s civil servants in charge of computing names of verified civil servants, he cunningly inserted bank accounts of three fake pensioners, Ngene Patrick Somtochukwu, Ani Ifeyinwa and Patience Christian Chimezie, domiciled in Fidelity, Stanbic IBTC and First Banks plc. He used this dubious means to divert the funds meant for the pension and salaries of the civil servants in the 17 local government areas of Enugu State. He was sentenced to six years in prison for the fraud.

In prosecuting the war against pension fraudsters, the EFCC has also investigated the Police Pension fraud, which has resulted in the seizing of assets from Atiku Kigo, Esai Dangabar (now late), Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Veronica Oyegbula, Uzuoma Cyril Attang, Sani Habila Zira, John Yakubu Yusuf and their associated companies and persons.

Investigation of pension fraud in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, has also resulted in the seizure of assets from Shaibu Teidi, Phina Chidi, Abdul Mohammed, Emmanuel Olanipekun, Aliyu Bello and their associated companies as persons from whom assets were recovered. Their trials are currently ongoing.

Yakubu Yusuf, a former Assistant Director in the Federal Civil Service, who has been on the run since 2018 when Court of Appeal, CoA Abuja Division, sentenced him to six years imprisonment and a fine of N22.9billion, for conniving with five other suspects to steal N32.8billion Police Pension Fund was also apprehended by the EFCC to serve his jail-term at the Kuje Correctional Service, Abuja. Justice Abubakar Talba, then of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, Gudu, had earlier sentenced him to two years in prison with an option of N750,000 as fine, which was viewed by the EFCC as a robber of justice. Subsequently, the EFCC appealed the ruling, which prompted the CoA to issue a fresh sentence.