The Nigerien authority has alerted the Federal Government of Nigeria about $1.7m cash found in a safe believed to belong to former Chairman of Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.
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The money is believed to be part of money looted by Maina who is currently in the custody of the Department of Security Services along with his son Faisal who pulled a gun on DSS officials when they were arrested at Pennsylvania Avenue Hotel.
Maina is under investigation for alleged mismanagement of over N24billion pension funds while in office and while under investigation assets belonging to him to the tune of One Billion Naira have been confiscated.
Maina’s nephew, Sadiq Abdullahi Ismaila recently released a video exclusive to The Nation describing his ordeal about how he was tortured to the point of death over missing $1.7m from a safe house. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently on the trail of Sadiq whom the family are allegedly asking to go underground in other to save his uncle.
The Nigerien Government alerted Nigeria’s Federal Government of the strange discovery of the cash, following which Abuja directed the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to investigate.
EFCC and NIA have it under good authority that the house in Niamey where the cash was found belongs to Maina and the alleged $1.7m coincides with Sadiq Abdullahi Ismaila’s story.
According to nairaland.com, an authoritative source said: “The $1.7m was stashed in an apartment in Niger Republic which was being occupied by a Nigerian.
“So far, a trail of the cash by security agencies has linked Maina to the cash because the apartment was alleged to be his hideout.
“Detectives are working round the clock to uncover where the suspected pension cash was sourced and how it was ferried to Niger Republic.
“One of the clues being probed was the allegation that Faisal Maina (the son of the ex-pension reform task force chairman) moved the cash from Nigeria to the Republic of Niger.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “Investigators have also discovered that Maina allegedly influenced the arrest and torture of one of his nephews, Sadiq Abdullahi Ismaila over a missing $1.7m.
“Sadiq , who later released a video clip on his ordeal, asked Maina to turn his searchlight on his son, Faisal and wife.”
In the clip, which was exclusively obtained by THE NATION, Sadiq said: “I am a nephew to the ex-pension boss, Abdulrasheed Maina. Well, a lot has been happening lately. For those of you that know me very well, a lot has been happening. I know some of you know everything that has been going on and I haven’t come out to say a word about it yet.
“But I figure it is high time I come out to speak about it. Why? It is because I felt for the safety of the people around me, especially my family and others like that.
“Well, I was abducted by Abdulrasheed Maina (my uncle) for three days and I was tortured for something I didn’t do. He accused me of taking $1.7million of his which his son took from his house. His son and his wife too,
“I have been paying for $1.7million that is not with me. The funny thing is that this man has been sending people after me, my family and friends. And for me, I don’t really care because I have seen it all. There is nothing more he can do to me because I have already endured three good days of torture from somebody I look up to.
“He is somebody I point out to be a father figure to me; somebody who is the immediate brother to my mum. Let me make this video short. Abdulrasheed Maina, if you think your money is with me, I told you, go and meet your wife and your son.
“The $1.7million, you said you got it while you were washing toilets. I don’t know where they pay in dollars for washing toilets. I don’t know where you got the money from.
“But I know for sure the way you launder money and you know I know that. That is why you wanted me dead. I just survived because it was not my time when you asked those hoodlums, claiming to be DSS operatives to torture me for good three days. I almost died but it was not my time.
“For you now to be sending people because I have been quiet about it. I have been quiet about it because your mum (our grandmother) begged me to keep the issue as a family issue.”