The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, wanted over an alleged case involving the receipt of stolen property.
The anti-graft agency announced the development in a notice issued on Wednesday and signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
According to the EFCC, Maina, 61, is an indigene of Biu, Borno State. The commission published his photograph and appealed to anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact its offices or the nearest security agency.
The development adds another chapter to Maina’s long-running legal battles, which have involved allegations of financial misconduct, money laundering and the handling of pension-related funds.
From pension reform to prosecution
Maina rose to national prominence as chairman of the PRTT, a task team established to address irregularities and weaknesses in Nigeria’s pension administration.
His tenure, however, later became the subject of criminal investigations by the EFCC.
In 2019, the commission arraigned him before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 12-count money-laundering charge involving more than N2 billion.
Maina pleaded not guilty and subsequently faced a lengthy trial.
In November 2021, the Federal High Court convicted him on multiple money-laundering counts and imposed a cumulative sentence of 61 years. Because the terms were to run concurrently, the effective custodial sentence was eight years.
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The Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the conviction in 2023.
Maina was released from prison in February 2025 after serving part of his sentence. The Nigerian Correctional Service said his release followed statutory remission and good conduct.
Fresh legal battle
The latest wanted declaration is separate from the earlier money-laundering conviction and comes as Maina faces another criminal proceeding.
He is currently standing trial alongside Ann Igwe Olachi before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over an alleged N738.6 million receipt of stolen funds.
The EFCC alleges that the money was connected to purported biometric enrolment contracts involving pensioners.
Maina has contested aspects of the prosecution’s case.
The proceedings have also been marked by delays. In February 2026, the trial judge, Justice Abubakar Kutigi, expressed concern over repeated adjournments and warned that Maina’s bail could be revoked.
Why the new declaration matters
The latest EFCC notice indicates that the commission is seeking to locate Maina in connection with the separate allegation of receiving stolen property.
The agency has directed anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact its offices in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kaduna, Ilorin, Benin, Makurdi, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Uyo or Gombe.
The EFCC also advised members of the public to provide information to the nearest police station or other security agencies.
The wanted declaration does not, by itself, establish guilt in the latest allegation. Maina remains entitled to defend himself against the new charges in court, while the prosecution must establish its case through the judicial process.