Maina’s son begins seven-year sentence after DSS re-arrest

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the commitment of Faisal, son of former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, to a correctional centre to serve his seven-year jail term following his re-arrest.

Justice James Omotosho made the order on Wednesday after granting an ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and moved by its counsel, M.K. Hussain.

The judge also directed that Faisal’s sentence should commence from October 14, 2026, the date he was re-arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services.

The EFCC had approached the court to seek leave to enforce the judgment delivered against Faisal by Justice Okon Abang on October 7, 2021, and the subsequent judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on November 24, 2022.

The commission also sought a warrant committing the convict to the Nigeria Correctional Service to enable him to serve his sentence.

Granting the application, Justice Omotosho issued the warrant and ordered that Faisal serve three years’ imprisonment on count one, seven years on count two and three years on count three, in accordance with the Court of Appeal’s decision.

The judge, however, ordered that the sentences should run concurrently, meaning Faisal will spend seven years in prison.

Faisal was re-arrested by the DSS on October 14, 2026, and subsequently handed over to the EFCC after evading trial for about six years.

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He was initially arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in 2019 on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and failure to make full disclosure in an asset declaration form.

After pleading to the charges, Faisal jumped bail and absconded, prompting the trial judge, Justice Abang, to proceed with the trial in his absence.

In his judgment delivered on October 7, 2021, Abang convicted Faisal and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment on counts one and three, and 14 years on count two.

The judge ordered that the sentences should run concurrently and directed that Faisal be arrested wherever he was found and taken to a correctional centre to serve his jail term.

However, the Court of Appeal, in its judgment of November 24, 2022, reviewed the sentences to three years on counts one and three, and seven years on count two.

Faisal’s father, Abdulrasheed, a former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, was also convicted on a N2bn money laundering charge and has served his prison sentence.