By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, wanted over an alleged case of receiving stolen property after his release from prison.
The EFCC made the announcement in a wanted notice signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, and posted on its official Facebook and X handles on Wednesday, September 23.
The commission said Maina, aged 61, is an indigene of Biu in Borno State, and he is wanted in connection with an alleged case of receiving stolen property.
“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 EFCC said.
The anti-graft agency also urged members of the public with information on his 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 advised anyone with relevant information to contact the commission through its designated telephone line or email address.
The agency further asked members of the public to provide information to the nearest police station or other security agencies.
The EFCC’s notice did not, however, provide further details on the alleged stolen property case or state when the alleged offence occurred.
The latest development comes amid Maina’s long-running legal battles over allegations relating to pension funds marked by repeated absence from court.
Recall that Maina was previously declared wanted by the EFCC after he failed to appear for his trial in a case involving alleged N2 billion fraud linked to the pension reform programme.
He was subsequently 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, with the prosecution linking him to the handling of funds allegedly derived from unlawful activities.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) later disclosed that Maina was released from custody on February 25, 2025, after serving part of his sentence.
The NCS attributed his release to good conduct in prison and said the decision was made in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
After his release, Maina faced a separate nine-count charge alongside Ann Igwe Olachi, a civil servant, over alleged receipt of N738 million in stolen funds, to which both defendants pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned in 2019.
The EFCC alleged that Maina and Ann Igwe Olachi received stolen funds connected to purported biometric enrolment contracts for pensioners.
The case is still ongoing, with Maina’s defence challenging the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court and arguing that the prosecution amounts to an abuse of court process and exposes him to double jeopardy.
In February 2026, the court threatened to revoke Maina’s bail over delays in the proceedings.
