The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Maina, son of Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), in Abuja. Following his arrest, Faisal was handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to sources familiar with the matter.
Arrest After Secret Return to Nigeria
“His arrest followed credible intelligence which indicated that Faisal had secretly returned to the country,” a source revealed. DSS operatives tracked Faisal to the Karsana area of Abuja, where he was apprehended, as reported by TheCable.
Faisal had been on the run since 2020, when the EFCC arraigned him on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering. His return to Nigeria had not been publicly known until security agencies moved in on him.
Background of the Case
His father, Abdulrasheed Maina, is the former pension boss whose case drew widespread attention in Nigeria following allegations of large-scale fraud linked to the management of pension funds under the PRTT. The elder Maina had himself been on the run before his eventual arrest and prosecution.
Faisal’s escape and charges date back to 2020, and the three-count money laundering charge had been pending while he remained at large. With Faisal now back in the custody of the EFCC, the commission is expected to proceed with the charges that were first filed against him five years ago.
Next Steps for EFCC
His arrest marks a significant development in a case that has lingered in Nigeria’s anti-corruption landscape for several years. The EFCC is now expected to continue legal proceedings against Faisal, bringing a long-awaited step in the case that began with his father’s prosecution.
