The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, the fugitive son of former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, and handed him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the enforcement of a 14-year prison sentence imposed on him in 2021.
Faisal, who had reportedly been on the run since 2020, was tracked down and arrested by DSS operatives in the Karsana area of Abuja following intelligence indicating that he had secretly returned to Nigeria.
A security source told Vanguard that the arrest followed credible intelligence about Faisal’s return to the country after years of being away.
āHis arrest followed credible intelligence which indicated that Faisal had secretly returned to the country,ā the source said.
Faisal was previously prosecuted by the EFCC on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and conspiracy. He was accused of violating his bail conditions and fleeing the country, leading to the continuation of his trial in absentia.
In 2021, Justice Okon Abang convicted him on the charges and sentenced him to 14 years’ imprisonment.
Following the conviction, the court ordered that Faisal be arrested wherever he was found within Nigeria and remanded in a correctional centre to serve his sentence.
The court also directed that if he was found outside the country, the Federal Government should take the necessary lawful steps to secure his extradition to Nigeria to enable him to serve his prison term.
His reported return to Nigeria and subsequent arrest by the DSS are expected to pave the way for the enforcement of the court’s judgment after years of his absence from the country.
A security source said the decision to hand him over to the EFCC was intended to facilitate the implementation of the court’s order and ensure that he serves his sentence in accordance with the law.
āThe handover of Faisal to the EFCC is expected to facilitate the enforcement of the Courtās judgment and ensure that he serves his sentence in accordance with the law,ā the source stated.
The arrest brings renewed attention to the long-running legal case involving Faisal, who had remained at large despite his conviction and the court’s directive that he be apprehended to serve his prison term.