Court orders Maina’s son to begin seven-year jail term

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Faisal Maina, son of former Pension Reform Taskforce chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, to begin serving his seven-year prison sentence following his re-arrest after jumping bail six years ago.

Justice James Omotosho issued the committal order on Thursday after granting an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC, through its lawyer, M.K. Hussain, had sought the court’s permission to enforce the judgment against Faisal, who was re-arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 14, 2026, and handed over to the commission.

Faisal was initially arraigned in 2019 on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and failure to make full disclosure in an asset declaration form.

After pleading not guilty before Justice Okon Abang, now a Court of Appeal justice, he jumped bail and failed to attend subsequent proceedings.

Consequently, Justice Abang proceeded with the trial in his absence and, on October 7, 2021, convicted him, sentencing him to five years’ imprisonment on counts one and three, and 14 years on count two.

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

In granting the EFCC’s application, Justice Omotosho issued a warrant committing Faisal to the Nigeria Correctional Service to serve the sentence.

The judge also directed that the jail term should take effect from October 14, 2026, the date of his re-arrest.

Faisal’s father, Abdulrasheed Maina, a former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Taskforce Team, was also convicted in a separate N2bn money laundering case and has served his prison sentence.