Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), has been released from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja after serving an eight-year jail term for money laundering.
Although the exact date of his release remains unclear, credible sources confirm he has been out of custody for several weeks.
Background of the Conviction
Maina was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in October 2019 on 12 counts of money laundering involving over N2 billion belonging to pensioners. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In November 2021, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja found him guilty on all counts. The court held that Maina had stolen pension funds and concealed his identity by using bank accounts opened in the names of family members without their knowledge. Justice Abang sentenced him to a total of 61 years in prison, with the terms running concurrently, effective from the date of his arraignment.
Appeal Upheld
Maina appealed the judgment, but in May 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld both his conviction and the custodial sentence, which effectively amounted to eight years.
His release marks the end of a high-profile case that highlighted corruption within Nigeria’s pension system.
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