Former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for refusing to honour repeated invitations by the Commission.
The www.icirnigeria.org reliably gathered that a warrant for the arrest of the controversial task team boss was obtained by the commission since last week but the declaration for his arrest was announced on Monday evening.
Maina, who has lived in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for about two years, is wanted for offences ranging from allegations of stealing, misappropriation of public funds, and money laundering.
He is being currently being prosecuted at the Federal Capital Territory High Court alongside Steve Oronsaye, former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the man who appointed him in 2010 as head of PRTT, and others.
Although Maina is not listed on the charge sheet, he is mentioned along with others in all the counts.
Oronsaye and Maina are alleged to have colluded with Osarenkhole Afe, a consultant who worked with the Task Team and the office of the Head of Service, to allegedly syphon over a billion naira from pension funds using front companies.
Specifically, they are alleged to have awarded bogus contracts running into billions of naira for biometric enrollment of pensioners across; the country to companies owned by their aides, friends and cronies.
The companies included Fredrick Hamilton, Innovation Solutions and Projects Ltd, Xangee Technologies and Fatidek Ventures. Others are Obalando Enterprises, Jolance Integrated Concepts, Vivian Ebony Nig. Ltd, MOF Investments and Fesbee Global Resources.
The www.icirnigeria.org on August 25 published a comprehensive report on the monumental fraud titled N1 Billion Pension Fraud: The Case Against Oronsaye, Abdulrasheed Maina.
In amended charges brought against Oronsaye and others at the Federal High Court, Abuja, three front companies alleged to have been exclusively used by Maina to launder money were added to the list of accused persons.
The companies include Cluster Logistic Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited and Drew Investment and Construction Company.
More details later.