The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, declared former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, wanted for his role in some contracts while he served in the team.
The commission, in a statement by its spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said Maina is wanted for his role in the fraudulent biometric contracts through which himself and former Head of Service, Steve Oronsaye and two others allegedly stole over N2billion of pension funds.
Maina was on July 21, 2015 charged alongside Oronsaye , Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited before a Federal High Court on a 24 count charge bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence.
While Oronsaye and two others were in court and pleaded not guilty to the charge, Maina had been at large.
But on July 21, when the court heard the bail applications of the accused persons, Maina through his lawyer, Esther Uzoma told the court that he was not at large, claiming that the EFCC had never invited him.
The development prompted the lawyer to the EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, to plead with the court to prevail on Uzoma to produce Maina in court as the Commisssion had no clues as to his whereabouts.
Though the court granted Rotimi’s prayers, Maina has continued to shun court proceedings, leaving the commission with no option than to declare him wanted.
further noted that ,since the Commission filed charges against Maina,more damning evidence have emerged on how he siphoned pension funds using secret accounts in a new generation bank in Abuja.
The EFCC’s sources said they made damning revelations of several opaque transactions through which Maina allegedly lined his pockets at the expense of thousands of hapless pensioners and two officers of the bank were quizzed two weeks ago.
The commission implores anyone with information on Maina’s whereabouts to contact any of its offices in Lagos, Abuja, Gombe, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu or report at the nearest police station.
