RismadarVoice Reporters
November 12, 2026
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Faisal Maina, son of former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, to begin serving a seven-year prison sentence following his conviction for money laundering and failure to fully disclose his assets.
Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Thursday after granting an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking a warrant for Faisal’s commitment to the Nigeria Correctional Service.
The commission requested enforcement of the sentence following Faisal’s rearrest by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 14, 2026, in the Karsana area of Abuja.
Faisal was subsequently handed over to the EFCC, approximately six years after he absconded while facing trial.
During Thursday’s proceedings, EFCC counsel M.K. Hussain moved the application, urging the court to enforce the conviction and sentence as reviewed by the Court of Appeal.
Justice Omotosho granted the request and directed that Faisal serve three years’ imprisonment on the first count, seven years on the second count and three years on the third count.
The judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning Faisal will serve a maximum term of seven years rather than 13 years.
The prison term is to be calculated from October 14, 2026, the date of his rearrest.
Faisal was initially arraigned in 2019 before Justice Okon Abang on a three-count charge involving money laundering and failure to make full disclosure of his assets.
He pleaded not guilty but subsequently jumped bail and stopped attending court proceedings.
Following his disappearance, the court continued the trial in his absence.
On October 7, 2021, Justice Abang convicted Faisal and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment on the first and third counts and 14 years on the second count, with the sentences running concurrently.
The court also ordered his arrest wherever he was found.
However, on November 24, 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction but reduced the sentences to three years on counts one and three and seven years on count two.
Thursday’s ruling therefore gives effect to the appellate court’s decision rather than imposing a fresh conviction.
Faisal’s father, Abdulrasheed Maina, was separately convicted in a money laundering case involving approximately ₦2 billion and has since completed his prison sentence.
The latest ruling brings renewed attention to Faisal’s prolonged absence from custody and the enforcement of criminal judgments against convicted persons who evade arrest.
