N2bn Fraud: DSS Allegedly Protecting Wanted Ex-Pension Boss, Maina

The embattled former chairman of the pension tasks force, Abdulrasheed Maina, who has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged N2bn fraud is alleged to be under the protection of the Department of State Service (DSS).

An EFCC source who spoke to the Punch revealed that the ex-pension boss moves around town in a bulletproof Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle and two or three vehicles.

According to the source, Maina, who was recently reinstated and sacked as a director in the Ministry of Interior is taking refuge at a DSS safe house believed to be located in Kaduna.

The source said, “We have traced him to a hotel in Kaduna where he went to spend the weekend; we know that the DSS is protecting him and the DG DSS, deployed men to protect him. But make no mistake, we will arrest him, already we’ve frozen all his accounts.”

Another source said, “He stays in a property which is a DSS safe house. He moves around in a convoy of about two or three vehicles. I personally saw him alighting from a Range Rover SUV last week with about four DSS officials.”

But a DSS official, whose name was not disclosed, reportedly denied the allegations, challenging the EFCC to provide evidence that the Service is protecting Maina.

“There is no need responding to baseless allegations because there was nothing like that. Both of us are doing same work, which is apart from making the country safe from fraudulent people, we also collaborate with each other in the area of collating of data on other things. This is why I’m surprised on this baseless allegation by an unknown person. Anyway, that’s all,” the DSS source said.