The long-running manhunt for Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, son of convicted former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, has ended after operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested him in Abuja.
Faisal, who had been declared wanted after fleeing the country in 2020, was apprehended by DSS operatives in the Karsana area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following intelligence that he had secretly returned to Nigeria.
Security sources confirmed that the DSS has handed him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to facilitate the enforcement of the court’s judgment against him.
“His arrest followed credible intelligence which indicated that Faisal had secretly returned to the country,” a security source said.
Faisal was earlier prosecuted by the EFCC on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and conspiracy. However, he escaped after violating the bail conditions granted to him by the court.
Despite his absence, his trial continued, and Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in 2021 convicted him and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment.
The court had ordered that Faisal should be arrested wherever he was found within Nigeria and taken to a correctional centre to begin serving his sentence.
It also directed the Federal Government to take necessary legal steps to secure his extradition if he was found outside the country.
His arrest marks a major development in efforts by security and anti-corruption agencies to ensure that individuals convicted of financial crimes face the consequences of their actions.
“The handover of Faisal to the EFCC is expected to facilitate the enforcement of the Court’s judgment and ensure that he serves his sentence in accordance with the law,” another source stated.
Faisal’s conviction is linked to the wider corruption case involving his father, Abdulrasheed Maina, who was convicted over pension fund-related fraud allegations.
The DSS said the arrest demonstrates the agency’s commitment to using intelligence-driven operations to track individuals wanted by law enforcement authorities.