FROM KUJE PRISON TO NBA PATRON: NBA Installs Convicted Ex-Pension Boss, Maina as Patron Months After Prison Release

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Garki Branch, has installed Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), as its Patron, months after his release from prison.

Maina was also honoured with an award by the branch in recognition of what was described as his contribution and sacrifice to asset recovery efforts in Nigeria.

Speaking at the ceremony, Maina claimed that during his tenure as head of the PRTT, he recovered over ₦1.3 trillion in stolen pension funds and secured assets valued at about ₦88 billion on behalf of the country. He said his actions were guided by strong personal principles and adherence to the rule of law, stressing that his intentions had always been in Nigeria’s best interest.

He, however, lamented what he described as sustained persecution and maltreatment, including the alleged targeting of his family. According to him, his ordeal resulted from his insistence that the law should take precedence over political power.

Maina alleged that members of his family were subjected to harassment, including an incident in 2019 when his son was allegedly attacked and later detained. He maintained that he was not seeking sympathy but calling for accountability, transparency, and respect for human dignity.

The former PRTT chairman commended the current administration for renewed efforts at recovering looted public funds and expressed optimism that more stolen assets would be recovered. He also called for a clear explanation of the fate of the ₦1.3 trillion and 227 properties he claimed to have recovered, as well as the circumstances surrounding an agreement he said was later dishonoured. He added that he had submitted formal petitions on the matter and remained open to an independent investigation.

Maina was recently released from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, where he had been serving an eight-year jail term, although the exact date and circumstances of his release remain unclear.

In November 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Maina on 12 counts of money laundering involving over ₦2 billion. He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in October 2019 but pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In his judgment, Justice Okon Abang held that Maina stole funds belonging to pensioners, many of whom had died without benefiting from their entitlements. The court found that Maina concealed his identity as a signatory to bank accounts by using the names of family members. He was sentenced to a total of 61 years imprisonment, to run concurrently, resulting in an effective eight-year term beginning from October 25, 2019.

Maina appealed the judgment, but in May 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld both his conviction and sentence.