Former pension boss, Abdulrasheed Maina, has been released from prison

Former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, has been released from Kuje Correctional Centre nine months after his detention, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has confirmed.

Mr Maina, who was arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Okon Abang, on October 25, 2019, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside his son, Faisal, and firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd., had been in detention since the period.

However, Mr Maina’s Lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, in a telephone interview with NAN on Tuesday, said the ex-PRTT boss was finally released on Monday evening after completing the necessary documents for his freedom.

Mr Adedipe, who is from the chamber of Lawyer Ahmed Raji, SAN, said though Mr Maina should have been released July 24, it was delayed till this week due to administrative procedures.

“It was already late last week Friday so they now have a new timeline shifted at 6 ‘O’ clock.

“We went there and everything was done,” he said.

On why Mr Maina had been kept in detention after Mr Abang further varied his bail conditions on June 29, the lawyer said: “It was also administrative. There were lapses here and there; transmission of processes from one department of government to another.”

He, however, said the development had nothing to do with an act of vindictiveness on the part of the government officials.

Mr Adedipe, who expressed happiness over the release, said the action would not only afford his client to have adequate medical attention but would also afford him time to prepare for his defence.