The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former Pension Reform Task Team chairman Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina wanted, marking another development in the former public official's long-running encounters with Nigeria's anti-corruption authorities.
The commission issued the wanted notice on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, saying Maina is being sought in connection with an alleged case involving the receipt of stolen property.
Maina, 61, is from Biu in Borno State and previously headed the now-defunct Pension Reform Task Team, which was established to address irregularities in the country's pension system.
The EFCC appealed to members of the public who have information that could help locate him to contact the commission, the nearest police station or other security agencies.
The latest notice brings renewed attention to Maina, whose name has featured prominently in several criminal proceedings connected with pension funds over the past decade.
EFCC gives limited details on latest declaration
Although the anti-graft agency confirmed that Maina is wanted in connection with an alleged case of receiving stolen property, its public notice did not provide extensive details about the allegation.
The commission did not identify the particular property allegedly received, specify its value or state when the alleged offence occurred.
This is important because Maina is already involved in a separate, ongoing criminal proceeding in Abuja concerning allegations of receiving stolen funds.
According to previous court reports, Maina and another defendant, Ann Igwe Olachi, are facing nine counts at the Federal Capital Territory High Court over the alleged receipt of approximately N738.6 million.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned.
The EFCC's latest notice, however, does not explicitly state that the N738.6 million case is the basis for Wednesday's wanted declaration. Until the commission provides further details, the two developments should not automatically be treated as identical.
Court had raised concerns over Maina's absence
Maina's attendance at his ongoing trial had previously become an issue before the FCT High Court.
During proceedings in February 2026, Justice Abubakar Kutigi expressed concern about repeated delays in the case and warned that Maina's bail could be revoked if he continued to stay away from court.
At the hearing, an EFCC investigator gave evidence concerning the agency's investigation into alleged pension-related transactions.
The prosecution alleges that Maina received funds linked to contracts and other transactions connected with pension administration. These remain allegations in the ongoing case and are subject to determination by the court.
Maina and his co-defendant have denied the charges.
Previous N2 billion money-laundering conviction
The latest development is separate from the money-laundering case that previously resulted in Maina's conviction.
In November 2021, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Maina on money-laundering charges involving more than N2 billion in pension funds.
He received prison terms on multiple counts, with the longest running for eight years. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
The judgment also included an order requiring Maina to refund N314 million to the Federal Government.
Maina appealed the judgment, but the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction and eight-year sentence in May 2023.
He was later released from prison in February 2025 after serving part of the sentence. Reports citing the Nigerian Correctional Service said the release followed statutory remission, taking into account his period in custody and conduct while incarcerated.
Maina previously fled during trial
Maina's earlier prosecution also encountered difficulties after he stopped appearing in court while on bail in 2020.
His disappearance prompted the Federal High Court to revoke his bail and order his arrest.
He was subsequently arrested in Niamey, Niger Republic, and returned to Nigeria in December 2020, allowing proceedings against him to continue.
The trial eventually resulted in his 2021 conviction.
His company, Common Input Property and Investment Limited, was also convicted in the case and ordered to be wound up.
EFCC asks public for information
With the latest wanted declaration, the EFCC has again turned to the public for assistance in locating the former pension task force chairman.
The agency said information about Maina's whereabouts could be provided through its offices across Nigeria, including Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Ibadan, Enugu, Port Harcourt and several other locations.
Members of the public can also provide information through police stations and other security agencies.
For now, the EFCC has not publicly disclosed the detailed evidence behind the latest allegation or announced new charges arising specifically from the September 23 wanted notice.
The development nevertheless places Maina back at the centre of an anti-corruption investigation only about a year and seven months after his reported release from prison.
Further clarification from the EFCC or subsequent court proceedings will be required to establish precisely what allegations underpin the latest declaration and how they relate, if at all, to the N738.6 million case already before the FCT High Court.
