Court stops EFCC from declaring ex-Pension fund boss, Abdulrasheed Maina, wanted

Justice Guwa Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has stopped the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from declaring the chairman of defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, wanted.

In a judgement delivered on Monday, February 18th, Justice Guwa Ogunbanjo described the action of the anti-graft agency to declare Maina wanted as unlawful. Recall that in September 2018, Maina had filed a suit before the court asking if it was lawful for the anti-graft agency to declare him wanted on its official website or any other media platform, or by harassing him.

The EFCC declared Maina wanted over his role in a fraudulent biometric contract allegedly undertaken through him, a former Head of Service Steve Oronsaye and two others while he was in office as well his alleged stealing of N2 billion from the Pension fund.

Maina denied the allegation and went underground after the charges were filed against him. The EFCC declared him wanted as well as the INTERPOL.

Delivering judgment in the suit filed by Maina against the EFCC, Justice Ogunbanjo gave an order of perpetual Injunction restraining EFCC and its affiliates or related bodies from further declaring Maina ‘wanted”. He also ruled that the action of placing Maina as “wanted” was unlawful, as it was an infringement on his fundamental human rights.

The judge said it was done without an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, as stipulated by section 41 and 42 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.