DESERT HERALD can confirm that the fugitive former head of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina has been arrested by a combined team of the DSS personnel in a popular hotel at Aso Rock, Abuja on Monday. DH was reliably told by a DSS agent that pleaded not to be mentioned that intensive surveillance on the fugitive sacked Director has been on for four days now while sufficient intelligence was gathered about his unofficial entry into the country. A close associate of the embattled Maina was said to have provided information about his whereabouts to a powerful cabal that are also blackmailing Mr. Maina for different reasons.
Maina has been a fugitive in Dubai throughout the period of his travails and despite declaring him wanted while official communication for him by the EFCC to submit himself for investigation and possible prosecution has since been delivered he remained largely at large, fighting his case from Dubai until when the controversial news of his reinstatement and promotion was leaked to the press.
As at today, nobody was punished for the role they played in his reinstatement and promotion while there are sufficient reasons to commence investigation on the role played by Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN and the former Minister of Interior, Gen. AbdulRaman Dambazau Rtd on their individual roles in the highly embarrassing saga.
Insiders have also raised accusing fingers on President Muhammadu Buhari’s CoS, Abba Kyari in the #MainaGate controversy, accusations and counter accusations which resulted to another embarrassing crisis at the Federal Executive Council meeting between the powerful CoS, Kyari and the sacked Head of Service of the Federation, HoS Winifred Oyo-Ita.
DESERT HERALD learnt that Maina’s eventual arrest may open many cans of worms if his case is followed diligently and with transparency by the EFCC as even recently a credible source told DH that Maina while in Dubai has facilitated the recover of additional N1.5 trillion with a commitment and promised that he will be given 5% of the total sum by the cabal that contracted him.
DH can confirm that after the successful recovery, those who engaged Maina (their names are with DESERT HERALD) refused to fullfil their own side of the bargain with Maina and instead took advantage of his decision to be a fugitive by blackmailing him, threatening that he will be arrested anytime he comes to Nigeria.
Those privy to the deal confided in DH that Maina who has lost several properties to EFCC and may be going bankrupt was secretly in Nigeria to pressure those that committed him in the recent N1.5 trillion deal to pay him the agreed 5%. It was further reveal that it was those same cabal that used other means to reveal the whereabouts of Maina to the DSS which resulted to his arrest today. Maina, our source revealed is in possession of a document they signed for the N1.5 trillion recovery deal.
DH cannot confirm if the N1.5 trillion that was recently recovered through Maina was remitted to the coffers of the federal government as there is utmost secrecy involving the whole issue. But credible sources told DESERT HERALD that there is no official correspondence that indicated the recovery of the whopping sum using Maina’s knowledge in pension detection and fraud.
While Maina will certainly have cases to answer, this paper gathered that there are so many powerful individuals in the previous and present government that will also have a case to answer if the EFCC will be transparent and if they will ensure diligent prosecution of his case. The source confided that Maina’s case may be a child’s play compared to those powerful cabal that took advantage of his predicaments and manipulated, defrauded the federal government in billions if not trillions. (Desert Herald)
