Manhunt for Maina, PRTT Boss over N195Bn Pension Fraud

Force Headquarters of the Nigerian Police in Abuja said it would arrest Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), based on the warrant of arrest issued by the Senate for his alleged involvement in the N195billion pension fraud.

Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, inspector-general of Police (IGP) also risks a vote of-no-confidence if he fails to carry out the warrant of arrest order of Maina.

It would be recalled that David Mark, Senate President had last month signed the warrant which the IGP allegedly failed to execute.

Consequently, it has mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to summon him “to give reasons why he did not act on the warrant issued by the President of the Senate.

But Frank Mba, Police deputy public relations officer, said the police were irrevocably committed to discharging their statutory responsibility or arresting Maina, and produce him before the Senate.

He also appealed to members of the public who have information that could lead to his arrest, to furnish the

“We are irrevocably committed to arresting Maina as soon as we lay our hands on him. We will arrest and take him before the Senate. He was declared wanted by the police because he went into hiding and that made it difficult for the police to execute the warrant of arrest that was legitimately issued against him,” Mr. Mba said.

On the allegation that Maina was being guarded by the police, the spokesperson said “he has no police officer in his entourage to the best of my knowledge.”

“Even in the press release that we gave, we did say that any citizen who has any information that could help us in finding and executing that order should please pass the information to the appropriate authorities. “If anyone has the information on how we can get him, we will be pleased to have it,” he said.

The Senate, on December 13, 2012, issued a Warrant of Arrest against Maina and the warrant mandated the Inspector-General of Police to arrest and produce  Maina before the Senate Joint Committee on the Investigation of Pension Funds.

The police, on February 1, declared  Maina wanted, saying that he had since gone into hiding, making it difficult for them to execute the warrant.

Meanwhile, Dr. Reuben Abati, special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said that President Goodluck Jonathan was not backing the embattled PRTT chairman against the Senate which on Wednesday gave a twoday ultimatum within which to sack him.

He said the procedure was that only the Head of Service of the Federation could take a decision concerning a civil servant, according to civil service rules.

Abati noted that the Senate had constitutional right to summon anybody since nobody was above the law, stressing that “as a man that believes in the rule of law, the President believes that laid down procedure should be followed in addressing issues.”