EFCC to Take over Maina from DSS

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is awaiting the formal handover of the Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Maina was declared wanted for the diversion of N100 billion meant for payment of pensioners.

Maina’s posters had prior to the last general election, flooded Maiduguri and Abuja as a gubernatorial aspirant.

Although there was no categorical statement by DSS, Maina was reportedly arrested when he sneaked into the country from Dubai where he had holed up after a failed bid to be reinstated into the civil service.

A competent source told THISDAY that the DSS had established informal contact with the EFCC preparatory to his formal handover to the commission.

“They have established informal contact with the commission since it’s an inter-agency investigation.

“It is expected that they will hand him over officially when they are done with investigation at their own end”, the source said.

A security source said Maina was picked up Monday after his return to Abuja.

“Following inter-agency collaboration, intelligence report indicated that Maina had sneaked into the country from Dubai.” “He was trailed to an Abuja hotel where he was arrested after operatives outwitted those who tried to ferry him away in a bullet-proof vehicle,” a DSS source told THISDAY.

“He is currently being quizzed. He is likely to be handed over to the EFCC for trial. He has a pending case since 2015,” the source added.