Magu further denied records of records of any collaboration between the agency and the Maina–led PRTT, in the investigation of pension fraud in the country.
- Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the EFCC, testified before a committee of the House of Representatives and denied sharing the properties seized by Abdulrasheed Maina
- Magu also mentioned names of alleged pension thieves from whom properties seized
- He wants Maina to come out with proofs to the contrary just as he says the former is still being investigated for corruption
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has described false the claim that its officials shared 222 properties which the team of the former chairman of the Presidential Pension Reform Task Team (PPRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, seized from alleged pension fund thieves.
Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the EFCC, made the clarification on Thursday November 30, when he appeared before a committee of the House of Representatives which is investigating the sack and reinstatement of Maina into the civil service after he was declared wanted by the agency for pension fraud.
Magu spoke with the lawmakers the same day a permanent secretary in the interior ministry, Engineer Abubakar Magaji, admitted before them that he was responsible for the reinstatement and promotion of Maina after earlier indicting the Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF), Winifred Oyo-Ita.
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“All the pension fraud assets that are in the recovered assets inventory of the Commission were products of independent investigation by the EFCC, for which Maina and his cohorts had no clues,” Magu said.
A statement by the EFCC said Magu added that a record of all the recovered assets from both the police pension and the pension office of the head of the civil service remained intact.
He further denied records of records of any collaboration between the agency and the Maina–led PRTT, in the investigation of pension fraud in the country.
“The only link between the EFCC and Maina was the participation of a few staff of the commission in biometric verification exercise by the Maina Task Team.
“The leader of the EFCC team at the time was Colonel ID Sule (rtd), a contract staff who was Head of the commission’s servicom Unit.
“The verification exercise was not a criminal investigation and no asset was recovered in the process," he said while challenging Maina to produce any evidence to the contrary and disclose the number and types of assets that he handed over to the EFCC.
According to him, the suspects investigated in the Police Pension fraud from whom assets were seized, include: Atiku Kigo, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Veronica Oyegbula, Uzuoma Cyril Attang, Sani Habila Zira, John Yusuf and their associated companies and persons.
The EFCC boss named Shaibu Teidi, Phina Chidi, Abdul Mohammed, Emmanuel Olanipekun, Aliyu Bello and their associated companies as persons from whom assets were recovered from the office of the HoSF.
He said the assets seized from these suspects are in two categories; some have been permanently forfeited while others are on temporary forfeiture.
Magu told the panel that Maina was still under investigation by the EFCC for fraud and money laundering, calling him the arrow head of complex web of illicit deals that saw hundreds of millions of pension funds allegedly ending up in his private pockets.
He claimed that Maina operated the accounts of Cluster Logistics Limited, Kangolo Dynamic Cleaning Limited and Drew Investment and Construction Company Limited, Nafisa Aliyu and Abdulahi Faizal.
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“It is important to note that, the six accounts operated solely by Maina had a total inflow of over N2.7 billion between 2008 and 2013, with 95 percent of the deposits being in cash.
“It was discovered that Faizal Abdullahi’s Account (his son), had a turnover of over N1.5billion in less than a year.
“It should also be noted that Maina operated these accounts through telephone and email messages. Most of the funds were converted to forex through Bureau De Change and delivered to Maina in cash.
“Part of the funds was used to purchase properties, including the house at No. 10 Hamisu Musa Road, Jabi which he bought for $2 million in cash.
“Presently, there is a subsisting warrant of arrest against Maina,” Magu added.
We earlier reported how Abdulrasheed Maina alleged that President Buhari was not only aware of his reinstatement but ordered it.
He claimed his reinstatement started with a meeting with the minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, who was ordered by the president to meet with him.
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