How Maina siphoned N2.7bn pension funds

.As Court orders interim forfeiture of ex-Pension Reform task team chairman’s 23 houses

.Orders associates with prove to show cause within 14 days

Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered an interim forfeiture of 23 landed properties belonging to the Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, and his associates.

The order followed an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on September 30, but dated September 27, that was heard on Tuesday.

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The properties in dispute are located in Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Borno states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

On the list of the forfeited properties are eight landed properties in Abuja, another eight in Kaduna State, three in Borno State and one each in Kano and Sokoto states.

The affected properties were listed in a schedule attached to the motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1154/2019 which EFCC’s lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, argued on Tuesday.

The motion was brought pursuant to section 17 (1) and (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offence Act, 2006.

The court also made an order directing the publication of the Interim Order of Forfeiture in any national daily newspaper inviting any person(s) or body (ies) who may have interest in the assets and properties listed in the schedule to show cause, within 14 days of such publication, why a final Order of forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of the said assets and properties should not be made.

In an affidavit deposed to in support of its application, the anti-graft agency gave graphic details how former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Addurasheed Maina, connived with his associates to siphon over N2.7 billion from the Civil Service Pension Fund.

EFCC stated that besides the landed properties, its investigation revealed also that Toyin Meseke facilitated part liquidation of Maina’s fixed deposit of N185m, which the anti-graft agency alleged was transferred to Nural Wax Bureau De Change on July 7, 2015, for the purchase of US dollar on behalf of Maina.

The court was informed that the same amount was delivered to one Mairo Bashir, a relation of Maina who works with United Bank of Africa (UBA), Maitama branch, Abuja.

The Commission further stated that a sum of N26.5m was also paid to Federal Housing Authority from Kongolo Dynamics Ltd, while a balance of N4m was paid to Alhaji Tijani Yusuf between October 20, 2008 and November 11, 2008 for the property located at No: 12 11th Road, Kado Estate, Abuja, belonging to Addurasheed Maina.

It added that Cluster Logistics Ltd, a company owned by Maina, also received a sum of N152m from the Department of State Security Service (DSS) in the name of DSS pension Biometric between 2011 and 2012.

The EFCC alleged that the said sums were used in the acquisition of assets and properties in different parts of the country and abroad.

It stated that Maina known legitimate source of income is not commensurate with the humongous funds.

EFCC stated that Maina fictitiously owned and operates several accounts with Fidelity Bank Plc in the name of Cluster Logistics Ltd, Drew and Construction Ltd and Kongolo Dynamics Clearing Ltd, Dr. Abdullahi Faizar and Nafisalu Aliyu Yeldu and that the listed account had cumulative turnover of N2.7 bn, of which 95% of the deposit into the fraudulent account were cash deposits made by the bankers in their own names and other fictitious names”.

The commission told the court that Maina opened and fictitiously operated all the accounts with the active connivance of some staff of the bank.

The commission told court how Maina and his associates siphoned funds through the creation of Civil Service Biometric project.

For instance, it stated that in the course of its investigation, Mr. Osarenkhoe Afe disclosed that Maina instructed him to work with the Fredrick Hamilton Ltd in creating the Civil Service Biometric scheme, although the bidding for the project was not advertised.

That Afe confessed that the sum of N14.5m paid to Innovative Solution Ltd was remitted to his company- Fredrick Hamilton Ltd and that it was shared between himself, Mr. Maina and two Directors in the office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF).

In addition, the EFCC stated that Afe further disclosed that while he bided the sum of N50m for extension of the Biometric contract, he was instructed by Maina to inflate it to N130.5m which they did.

According to EFCC deposition, another witness, Salami Karim Adesokan, claimed that the sum of N147.7m was fraudulently paid through various banks from the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to three different companies- Fatidek Ventures, Jolance and Oblando Nigeria Ltd for fictitious Biometric contract.

Adesokan added that the monies were collected by cash and handed over to Maina through his confidential Secretary, Anne Igwe.

The matter has been adjourned to November.