Abdulrasheed Maina wanted again, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team wanted over an alleged case involving the receipt of stolen property.
The anti-graft agency announced the development in a wanted notice issued on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, and signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale. According to the notice, the commission is seeking Maina, 61, in connection with an alleged case of “Receiving Stolen Properties.”
The latest Abdulrasheed Maina wanted notice comes amid his long-running legal battles with the EFCC, including a separate criminal proceeding before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
EFCC Seeks Information on Maina’s Whereabouts
The commission has appealed to members of the public who have information about Maina’s whereabouts to assist its efforts to locate him, while also asking anyone with relevant information to contact the nearest police station or other security agencies.
The EFCC listed several of its offices as points where information about Maina can be provided, including locations in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Ibadan, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Ilorin, Gombe, Sokoto and Uyo. The commission also provided a telephone number and its official email address for members of the public who may have information that could help locate him.
The new declaration comes months after Maina was released from prison, where he had served part of an earlier sentence following his conviction for money laundering offences connected to pension funds.
Maina previously faced prosecution after the EFCC accused him of money laundering and other offences involving pension funds. During that case, he was declared wanted after failing to continue attending court proceedings, and authorities later arrested him in Niamey, Niger Republic, before returning him to Nigeria in December 2020 to face trial.
Maina Faces Another Criminal Case
Apart from the case that resulted in his conviction, Maina is also facing a separate criminal proceeding before the FCT High Court in Asokoro, Abuja, alongside Ann Igwe Olachi.
The defendants were arraigned in 2019 over a nine-count charge concerning the alleged receipt of stolen funds amounting to about ₦738.6 million, with the prosecution accusing them of receiving money linked to alleged criminal activity. Maina and his co-defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case has experienced delays, with proceedings in February 2026 drawing criticism from Justice Abubakar Kutigi over Maina’s repeated absence from court and the length of time the matter had remained unresolved. The judge warned that Maina’s bail could be revoked if he continued to stay away from proceedings.
The latest EFCC declaration therefore adds another development to Maina’s continuing legal challenges, although the new wanted notice itself describes the matter as an alleged case of receiving stolen properties.
Previous Conviction and Prison Sentence
Maina’s earlier money laundering case resulted in a conviction at the Federal High Court in Abuja in November 2021.
The court found him guilty on 12 counts involving money laundering, operating fictitious bank accounts and fraud, and sentenced him to a total of 61 years in prison, with the terms running concurrently. This effectively amounted to an eight-year prison term. The court also ordered the forfeiture or repayment of funds and assets connected to the offences.
The Court of Appeal later upheld his conviction and sentence in May 2023. Maina was subsequently released from Kuje Correctional Centre in February 2025 after serving part of his sentence, with the Nigerian Correctional Service attributing his release to statutory remission and his conduct while in custody.
The former pension task team chairman’s latest appearance on the EFCC wanted list is therefore separate from the conviction that previously sent him to prison. The commission is now seeking information that could help establish his whereabouts as the fresh allegation proceeds.
For now, the allegation concerning the receipt of stolen property remains a matter before the relevant authorities, and the EFCC has not announced a conviction against Maina in relation to the latest allegation.
