Court Grant Interim Forfeiture Of Maina's Property To FG

The former boss of Pension Reform Task Team, Abdurasheed Maina, has forfeited 23, houses to the federal government.
This followed the forfeiture order granted by Justice Folasade Giwa-Ogunbanjo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
It was gathered that an ex parte motion was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.
According to the EFCC’s counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, the properties were allegedly connected to the proceeds from the financial misappropriation levied against Maina and his associates.
The court however, gave 14 days to owners of the properties to provide proof why a final order of forfeiture to the Federal Government of the said assets and properties should not be made.
The motion was brought pursuant to Section 17(1) and (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.
Properties forfeited include houses, estates, companies, among others, located in Abuja, Kaduna, Borno and Nasarawa states.
The application was supported by a 30-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Mohammed Goji with 34 exhibits attached.
The deponent averred that sometime in 2010, the commission was invited by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to assist in the verification biometric exercise of the Federal Civil Service pensioners, saying, “That in the course of the exercise, two fake pensioners were discovered, leading to a large scale investigation for more fake pensioners.
“That in the course of investigation, it was discovered that large scale corruption in the form of stealing and money laundering of pension fund had taken place, spearheaded by one Abdulrasheed Maina, who was the chairman of PRTT along with his accomplices.
“That the said Abdulrasheed Maina alongside one of his cohorts, Stephen Oronsanye, the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation had set out to siphon funds belonging to the Federal Civil Service pensioners by setting up a fraudulent nationwide biometric enrolment exercise for pensioners on Federal Government payroll under the auspices of a Pension Reform Committee.”
The court however, adjourned the case till November 19.