The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Maina, son of former Pension Reform Task Team chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, following his return to Nigeria after several years on the run.

Faisal was reportedly apprehended in the Karsana area of Abuja after security operatives received intelligence that he had secretly returned to the country. He was subsequently transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He had been wanted since 2020 over money laundering charges brought against him by the EFCC.

In October 2021, the Federal High Court in Abuja found Faisal guilty of money laundering and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

The court ruled that he operated a fictitious account with United Bank for Africa (UBA) under the name Alhaji Faisal Farm 2. According to the judgment, the account was used to receive and withdraw N58.1 million between October 2013 and June 2019, with Faisal and his father linked to the transactions.

However, in November 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction but reduced the prison term to seven years. The appellate court held that the maximum sentence imposed by the trial court was inappropriate for a first-time offender.

Faisal’s father, Abdulrasheed Maina, also served a prison sentence for money laundering involving pension funds before his release.