IG: Maina has escaped !

Embattled Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) boss Abdulrasheed Maina has absconded, Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar said yesterday.

Senators are asking Maina to account for about N469 billion, which they claim has been mismanaged. They asked the police to seize him, but the PRTT chief claimed his life was being threatened.

Abubakar appeared before the Senate Committee on Police Affairs to answer questions on his inability to apprehend Maina.

The IGP said that Maina absconded immediately after the withdrawal of police orderlies attached to him. He has not been seen since then, he added.

He told the senators that he was prepared to place a ransom on the head of the fleeing PRTT boss, if that could assist in apprehending him.

But the lawmakers insisted that Maina must be arrested and brought to face the Senate panel over his role in the management of pension funds.

The senators mandated the IGP to engage the International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to track Maina.

Abubakar told the senators that the delay in signing the 2013 budget had made it difficult for the police to announce a reward for anyone who could help to apprehend Maina.

He, however, promised that the police would deploy every available means to apprehend Maina as soon as possible.

The police chief explained that in compliance with the Senate’s directive contained in a warrant of arrest against Maina, he withdrew the policemen attached to Maina immediately it was issued “and since that time, the man absconded and has not been seen”.

He said the police were yet to scan immigration documents to determine which country Maina might have fled to because “all the processes should be procedural”.

He added that the police would soon declare Maina wanted through the involvement of the INTERPOL, adding that the detectives trailing him visited Biu, Borno State; Maina’s home town, on January 31.

Said Abubakar: “At about the same day, the team arrived at the family house of Alhaji Maina in the heart of the town.

Two elderly persons in the compound informed the team that the subject had not visited them for long.

“Further inquiry revealed that the subject has a home in Kaduna and the team immediately proceeded to Kaduna on February 2, in search of him without success.

“Having established that the subject was in hiding, the Force vide letter No.

CZ: 5300/FPRD/FHQ/ABJ/V.4 of February 1, declared Maina wanted for failure to appear before the National Assembly.”

Maina was invited by the Senate committee on Establishment to explain his role in alleged mismanagement of N469b pension cash.

He was also expected to defend the allegation of diversion of N273.9billion pension cash between 2005 and 2011 and N195b discovered to be missing in December 2012.

Maina reportedly failed to appear before the committee, which he accused of victimising him.

He said rather, he should be credited with saving the country about N221billion which would have been stolen by a pension cartel.

He claimed to have removed 71,135 ghost pensioners from the list, in a statement.

All efforts to persuade him to appear before the senate committee failed.

Senate President David Mark signed a warrant of arrest but the police failed to arrest him.

Last week, the senate gave the executive the marching order to produce Maina or risk a battle.

The Presidency subsequently denied shielding him, and ordered the civil service commission to apply the rule against him, being a Deputy Director in the Federal Civil Service.