A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Faisal Maina, son of former Pension Reform Task Team chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, to begin serving his seven-year prison sentence following his rearrest.
Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Thursday after granting an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The commission had asked the court to issue a warrant committing Faisal to the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) to enforce his conviction for money laundering and failure to fully disclose his assets in an asset declaration form.
Faisal was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 14, 2026, in the Karsana area of Abuja, about six years after jumping bail and abandoning his trial.
He was subsequently handed over to the EFCC.
Court Orders Seven-Year Sentence
After EFCC counsel, M.K. Hussain, moved the application, Justice Omotosho granted the reliefs sought and issued a warrant for Faisal’s commitment to a correctional centre.
The judge directed that, in accordance with the Court of Appeal’s judgment delivered on November 24, 2022, Faisal should serve three years’ imprisonment on count one, seven years on count two and three years on count three.
The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning Faisal will serve a maximum of seven years in prison.
The court further directed that the sentence should run from October 14, 2026, the date of his rearrest.
How Maina’s Son Was Convicted
Faisal was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in 2019 on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and failure to fully disclose his assets.
He pleaded not guilty before Justice Okon Abang but later jumped bail and stopped attending court proceedings.
Following his disappearance, Justice Abang proceeded with the trial in his absence and convicted him on October 7, 2021.
The court initially sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment on counts one and three, and 14 years on count two, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently.
Justice Abang also directed that Faisal be arrested wherever he was found and taken to a correctional centre to serve his sentence.
However, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction while reducing the prison terms in its November 24, 2022 judgment to three years on counts one and three, and seven years on count two.
Abdulrasheed Maina’s Separate Conviction
Faisal’s father, Abdulrasheed Maina, was also convicted in a separate money laundering case involving approximately ₦2 billion.
The former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team has since completed his prison sentence.
The latest court order now clears the way for the enforcement of Faisal’s outstanding seven-year jail term following his return to custody.
