The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed that Faisal Maina, son of former pension reform task force chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, is in its custody following his arrest after years on the run.
The confirmation came on Saturday, 17 October 2026, a day after news of his arrest emerged. EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale told Premium Times that the commission would obtain the necessary court order to transfer Maina to a correctional centre to serve his prison sentence.
The commission did not say that the transfer had already taken place, and no new sentencing hearing was announced.
Arrest in Abuja and transfer to EFCC
The Department of State Services (DSS), also known as the State Security Service, arrested Maina in the Karsana area of Abuja and handed him over to the EFCC. Premium Times said a security service spokesperson confirmed that the arrest occurred on Thursday, 15 October.
The arrest became public on Friday, when TheCable reported that operatives had acted on intelligence suggesting Maina had returned to Nigeria. The circumstances of his return have not been fully established publicly.
Maina had been absent from court proceedings since 2020 after allegedly breaching bail conditions in a money-laundering case. The proceedings continued in his absence.
Conviction upheld, sentence reduced on appeal
In October 2021, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Maina following a three-count prosecution involving money laundering. Trial judge, Okon Abang, initially imposed a 14-year prison sentence.
In November 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction but reduced the sentence to seven years, ruling that the trial court should not have imposed the maximum sentence on a first-time offender. That appellate decision, rather than the earlier 14-year term, is the relevant reported sentence.
According to Punch, the case concerned a United Bank for Africa account operated under the name “Alhaji Faisal Farm 2”. The trial court found that the account was used in transactions involving ₦58.1 million connected to his father.
The court records themselves were not available for independent examination in this review, so the sentencing history and account details are attributed to contemporary reporting.
Court process is the next step.
Oyewale’s statement indicates that the EFCC intends to seek judicial authorisation before transferring Maina to a correctional facility. It does not confirm that a transfer date has been set or that an order has been granted.
The development concerns the enforcement of an existing conviction, not a fresh criminal charge. The commission has not announced new charges arising from the arrest.
Questions remain about the timing of Maina’s return to Nigeria and when the court process for enforcing the sentence will be completed. Those details will require further confirmation from the EFCC or the courts.
The next verifiable milestone is the court order and any subsequent confirmation that Maina has been admitted to a correctional facility to serve the sentence upheld on appeal.
