After spending about six years away from trial following his decision to jump bail, Faisal Maina, son of former Pension Reform Task Force chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, is set to begin serving a seven-year prison sentence.
The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his commitment to a correctional centre on Thursday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) secured an order enforcing an earlier judgment that convicted him of money laundering and failure to fully disclose his assets.
Justice James Omotosho issued the order following an ex parte application moved by the EFCC’s lawyer, M.K. Hussain
The development brings renewed attention to a case that began in 2019, went through years of legal proceedings and ended with Faisal being convicted in his absence after he stopped attending court.
But why was he sentenced in his absence, how did his six-year absence affect the case, and why is he now expected to serve seven years rather than the original 14-year sentence?
How Faisal Maina’s legal troubles began
Faisal’s case dates back to October 2019, when the EFCC arraigned him before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and failure to make full disclosure in an asset declaration form.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges before Justice Okon Abang, who was then handling the case.
On November 26, 2019, the court granted him bail of N60 million, with a serving member of the House of Representatives required to stand as surety.
However, Faisal subsequently stopped attending court proceedings and failed to appear for his trial.
The development prompted the court to revoke his bail, issue a bench warrant for his arrest and allow the proceedings to continue in his absence.
With the defendant no longer appearing in court, the judge proceeded with the trial and eventually convicted him on October 7, 2021.
Why was Faisal sentenced in his absence?
Faisal’s conviction followed his failure to return to court after he had been granted bail.
After revoking his bail, Justice Abang authorised the continuation of the proceedings despite his absence.
On October 7, 2021, the court found him guilty and imposed five years’ imprisonment on counts one and three, and 14 years on count two.
The sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning he was not required to serve them one after another.
The court also directed that he should be arrested wherever he was found and taken to a correctional centre to serve his sentence.
The judgment meant that his absence from court did not prevent the prosecution from reaching its conclusion.
Why did the Court of Appeal reduce his sentence?
Although the Federal High Court initially sentenced Faisal to a maximum of 14 years on one of the counts, the Court of Appeal reviewed the punishment in its judgment delivered on November 24, 2022.
The appellate court upheld his conviction but reduced the sentences.
Under the revised judgment, Faisal was sentenced to three years on count one, seven years on count two, and another three years on count three.
The sentences were also ordered to run concurrently.
This means that his effective prison term is seven years, rather than the combined 13 years of the three sentences.
His conviction, however, remained intact.
How was Faisal eventually brought back?
After years of avoiding the trial and the execution of his sentence, Faisal was reportedly arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on October 14, 2026, in the Karsana area of Abuja.
He was subsequently handed over to the EFCC.
Following his arrest, the anti-graft agency approached the Federal High Court with an ex parte application seeking permission to enforce the earlier judgment.
The commission specifically requested a warrant committing him to a correctional centre to serve the prison sentence imposed by the court and upheld by the Court of Appeal.
It also asked that the sentence begin from October 14, 2026, the date of his reported re-arrest.
Justice Omotosho granted the application and ordered that Faisal serve the revised sentences from that date.
Consequently, his seven-year prison term will run concurrently with the other two shorter sentences.
What is the connection to his father, Abdulrasheed Maina?
Faisal’s case has also attracted attention because of his father, Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Force Team.
His father was convicted in a separate money laundering case involving about N2 billion in funds linked to pension administration.
Abdulrasheed was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment in November 2021 after being found guilty of money laundering and related offences. He has since completed his prison term.
Although both father and son have faced separate money laundering prosecutions, their cases are distinct and involve different charges and court judgments.