Controversy has erupted over the early release of Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), who was freed from Kuje correctional centre in Abuja without completing his eight-year prison sentence for stealing over N2 billion in pension funds.
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Maina, who was convicted in November 2021 and sentenced to eight years imprisonment effective from October 25, 2019, has been spotted out of prison for weeks, with reports indicating he regained his freedom on January 22, 2026. However, critical questions remain unanswered about how and why he secured early release when his sentence was not due to expire until October 2027.
According to the judgment delivered by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Maina was sentenced to a total of 61 years imprisonment on all 12 counts of money laundering. However, the judge ruled that the sentences would run concurrently, effectively reducing the term to eight years, backdated to October 25, 2019 the date of his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
By this calculation, Maina’s eight-year sentence should have ended on October 25, 2027. His release in January 2026 means he served approximately six years and three months—nearly two years short of his full sentence.
Neither the Nigerian Correctional Service nor the Federal Ministry of Justice has issued any statement explaining the circumstances of Maina’s early release. There has been no announcement of a presidential pardon, commutation of sentence, or any other legal mechanism that would justify his premature freedom.
Sources familiar with the matter confirmed to reporters that Maina has been out of prison for weeks, but officials have remained conspicuously silent on how the convicted pension thief walked free before completing his term.
Maina was arraigned in October 2019 on a 12-count charge of money laundering to which he pleaded not guilty. In his judgment, Justice Abang held that Maina stole over N2 billion belonging to pensioners, “most of whom have died without reaping the fruits of their labour.”
The judge established that the former PRTT chairman concealed his true identity as a signatory to accounts opened in two banks by using the identities of his family members without their knowledge.
Displeased with the judgment, Maina approached the Court of Appeal. However, in May 2023, the appellate court upheld both the conviction and the eight-year sentence, further cementing the validity of his conviction.
His case is currently believed to be pending at the Supreme Court, meaning his conviction stands unless and until the apex court rules otherwise.
@thenigerialawyer“What Government Has Seen Is Not Even One Quarter” — Maina Alleges Malami Stole Vast Funds, Says ‘I Trace Funds Wherever They Are’♬ original sound – TheNigeriaLawyer
Adding to the controversy, within weeks of his unexplained release, Maina appeared at a public event organized by the NBA Garki Branch in Abuja, where he received the “Rule of Law and Courage Award” and was named “Grand Patron” of the branch.
The spectacle of a convicted pension thief who had not completed his sentence receiving accolades from a branch of the country’s premier legal association sparked widespread outrage and drew a swift, stinging rebuke from the national leadership of the NBA.
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, issued a strongly-worded statement disclaiming the appointment and condemning the actions of the Garki Branch Chairman, Anthony Bamidele Ojo.
“This makes a mockery of the legal profession and the fight against corruption,” the NBA President stated, adding that the purported appointment “paints the legal profession and the Association in a bad light.”
During the awards ceremony, Maina positioned himself as an anti-corruption crusader, making explosive allegations against the Federal Government and former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami (SAN).
He claimed that the Federal Government under former President Muhammadu Buhari failed to honour a whistleblower agreement under which he allegedly helped recover stolen public funds totalling $1.3 trillion, alongside additional assets valued at $88 billion.
“I receive this honour with humility, but I must speak plainly. This is not a celebration for me at all. It is a testimony of endurance and of what can happen when you insist that the law must be stronger than power,” Maina said.
He alleged he was entitled to five percent of the recovered $1.3 trillion—approximately $65 billion—as his whistleblower fee, but was never paid.
Maina also denied ever being a signatory to any account linked to pension funds, directly contradicting Justice Abang’s findings which established that he concealed his identity as a signatory to accounts opened in two banks by using family members’ identities without their knowledge.
The circumstances of Maina’s release have raised serious questions about accountability and the administration of justice in Nigeria:
- What legal mechanism facilitated his early release? Was there a presidential pardon, sentence commutation, or some other form of executive clemency that has not been publicly disclosed?
- Why was the public not informed? If Maina’s sentence was legitimately reduced or he was granted clemency, why was there no official announcement?
- Who authorized his release? Which government officials or agencies were involved in the decision to free him before completing his sentence?
- What message does this send? How does the early release of a convicted pension thief who stole billions from retirees impact public confidence in Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts?
- Is he still a convicted felon? With his appeal pending at the Supreme Court, Maina remains a convicted criminal until the apex court rules otherwise. How is he able to move freely and receive public honours?
The NBA’s response to the Garki Branch’s actions was unequivocal. The Association noted that while it respects Maina’s right to appeal his conviction, it will not lend its platform to influence public opinion in his favour or be perceived as laundering the image of a convicted criminal.
“Equally reprehensible was the decision of the Chairman to make comments about Abdulrasheed Maina’s appeal, currently believed to be pending at the Supreme Court,” the NBA statement read.
The Association directed the Garki Branch Chairman to immediately withdraw Maina’s appointment and ordered him to cease making statements in support of any litigant in pending cases.
“Disciplinary proceedings will be commenced against the Chairman of the NBA Garki Branch for actions inconsistent with the Constitution of the NBA, the Rules of Professional Conduct, and the core values of the legal profession,” the NBA announced.
The Maina saga represents a critical test of Nigeria’s institutional integrity. His unexplained early release, combined with his attempt to rebrand as an anti-corruption advocate while his conviction stands, raises fundamental questions about the rule of law in Nigeria.
As civil society groups and concerned citizens demand answers, the silence from relevant government agencies grows more deafening. Until credible explanations are provided for how and why Maina was released nearly two years before completing his sentence, suspicions of behind-the-scenes deals and institutional compromise will continue to undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.
The NBA’s swift action to distance itself from the Garki Branch’s misguided award demonstrates that at least one institution is willing to stand firm on principle. Whether other institutions will follow suit—and whether the public will ever receive answers about Maina’s mysterious early release—remains to be seen.
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