While announcing the arrest of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), the Department of State Service (DSS) have also stated that while the arrest was ongoing, Maina’ s son, Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, pulled out a gun and threatened to open fire on DSS operatives in order to resist his father’s arrest.
Peter Afunanya, spokesman of the agency, in a statement on Wednesday said;
“The arrest which was effected at the Pennsylvania Avenue Hotel, Utako, Abuja followed a request by the EFCC to the Service to assist in the apprehension of the suspect,” the statement read.
“Maina was arrested in the company of his 20-year-old son, Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, who unsuccessfully tried to resist the arrest.
“The lad even pulled a pistol against the security agents involved in the operation. He was, however, disarmed and arrested. He is a final year student at the Canadian University of Dubai where he is studying Telecoms Engineering.
“Items recovered from the suspects include a pistol with live ammunition, a bulletproof Range Rover SUV, a BMW Saloon car, foreign currencies, a Phantom 7 drone and sensitive documents.
“The suspects and the recovered items will be handed over to the EFCC for further investigations and appropriate necessary actions.”
The federal civil service commission had dismissed Maina in 2013 for absconding from duty following a recommendation by the office of the head of service.
Maina had been accused of being involved in pension fraud running into over N100 billion. After an investigation by the senate joint committee on public service establishment, a warrant of arrest was issued against him.
Subsequently, the police declared him wanted and he went into hiding.
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However, in 2017, he returned to the country under controversial circumstances and was reinstated as a director in the ministry of interior.
But President Muhammadu Buhari ordered his dismissal and demanded a probe into his recall.