Despite beingness on the run after beingness declared wanted past times the Economic in addition to Financial Crimes Commission for alleged corruption, embattled sometime chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina, was provided federal safety cover, PREMIUM TIMES tin written report today.
Investigators convey establish that for months, Mr. Maina received protection from operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in addition to the State Security Service (SSS). The SSS likewise provided hole-and-corner accommodation for him.
Mr. Maina is currently at large in addition to did non written report to duties on Mon at the Ministry of Interior where he was latterly posted to.
The spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the means was intensifying its search for Mr. Maina.
The fresh search was triggered past times a PREMIUM TIMES written report on Fri detailing how the sometime pension boss, who fled Nigeria inwards 2013, sneaked dorsum into the province in addition to was reinstated into the civil service, in addition to promoted.
The storey sparked scandalize alongside Nigerians in addition to the civil lodge who viewed the instance every bit a litmus essay for the corruption endeavor of the Buhari administration.
On Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered immediate disengagement of Mr. Maina in addition to demanded a written report of the circumstances leading to his reinstatement from the Head of Service of the Federation. The presidency said the written report has been turned in.
SSS, Police involvement
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that all the while, Mr. Maina was beingness provided guards past times the SSS. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 rubber theatre inwards Maitama, allegedly belonging to the SSS, was likewise provided for his use.
The SSS does non convey a known spokesperson to response to this story.
PREMIUM TIMES telephoned the manager full general of the SSS, Lawal Daura, in addition to a manager inwards the service, identified every bit Mr. Bassey, merely both officials did non response to multiple calls.
The paper likewise establish out that Mr. Maina’s controversial $2 meg theatre inwards Jabi, Abuja, was guarded past times the police.
A PREMIUM TIMES reporter who saw an armed police draw guard at the belongings on Monday, confirmed that the operative was posted at that spot from the Maitama police draw division.
The FCT Police spokesperson, Anjuguri Manzah, said he was non aware of the posting. He promised to discovery out in addition to acquire dorsum to the newspaper. He is yet to produce then every bit at the fourth dimension of publishing this report.
Mouthwatering offer
Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES has obtained to a greater extent than details close how Mr. Maina purchased the Jabi property.
As solely reported past times the paper ii years ago, Mr. Maina used bankers in addition to other intermediaries to wash most of the coin he allegedly embezzled from the pension funds inwards his care.
The procedure of purchasing the Jabi home, located at No. 10 Hamisu Musa Road, Jabi, followed a similar pattern.
Investigators familiar with the bargain told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Maina, who paid for the theatre inwards cash, made a mouth-watering offering to the root owner, identified every bit Adamu Modibbo, a sometime managing manager of Sigma Pension.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the belongings was non inwards the marketplace then Mr. Maina, acting through a middleman, approached Mr. Modibbo with an enticing offer.
Mr. Modibbo initially resisted the proposal to sell the house, where he was living with his family, merely was given what an official called an “irresistible offer”.
Officials said both the buyer in addition to the seller contravened provisions of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act past times transacting inwards cash, given the amount involved.
Investigators, who traced the soil documents at the Abuja Geographic Information System establish that the novel championship documents were collected past times an official of Guarantee Trust Bank.
Investigators afterward establish that the homo had since resigned his ship service from the banking concern in addition to disappeared.
Contacted for comments, Mr. Modibbo declined comment, proverb he would rather “allow EFCC to acquire to the root of the matter”.
EFCC continues search
Mr. Maina’s whereabouts remained unknown past times Tuesday evening.
A senior official at the EFCC notwithstanding told PREMIUM TIMES that the committee had searched Mr. Maina’s household unit of measurement theatre inwards Kaduna next a tip off that he was inwards the urban essence to run into his woman nurture over the weekend. The search was fruitless.
Officials likewise said Mr. Maina has been unreachable fifty-fifty to closed associates inwards the final ii days.
Premium Times