Abdulrasheed Maina, the former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), was rushed to a private hospital in Abuja on Tuesday evening after collapsing while attempting to enter his office premises.
According to a statement issued by his media assistant, Emmanuel Nweke, Maina lost his balance on the staircase, fell, struck his head, and became unconscious. Nweke attributed the fall to complications from an untreated knee injury that Maina has been managing.
“The incident occurred following complications from an untreated knee injury, which caused him to lose balance and fall, resulting in his head hitting the staircase,” the statement said.
Medical personnel at the scene provided immediate first aid before he was taken to the hospital for urgent care. “Dr Maina is currently receiving close medical care and remains under observation,” Nweke added. “Following a preliminary medical assessment, one of the attending doctors advised that arrangements be considered for an air ambulance medical evacuation should his condition not stabilise within a short period.”
Maina’s family and medical team are monitoring his progress and have requested privacy, public understanding, and prayers during this period.
The incident comes shortly after Maina’s release from the Kuje Correctional Centre in February 2025, where he had been serving time following a high-profile conviction for money laundering. In November 2021, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja found him guilty on charges involving more than ₦2 billion in pension funds. The judge described the offence as involving money stolen from pensioners, “most of whom have died without reaping the fruits of their labour.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Maina in October 2019 on a 12-count charge that included operating fictitious bank accounts, fraud, and money laundering. He pleaded not guilty. The court sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment, with terms running concurrently from the date of his arrest.
The Court of Appeal upheld both the conviction and the sentence in May 2023. During the trial, Maina’s health became a point of concern; at one stage, he was wheeled into the courtroom by prison officials, leading the judge to direct the deputy comptroller of the Nigerian Correctional Service to assess his condition.
In a separate courtroom episode in December 2020, Maina slumped during proceedings, highlighting ongoing questions about his physical state even then.
Maina’s tenure as chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, established under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan to address widespread irregularities in the pension system, had drawn intense scrutiny. The team was tasked with verifying pensioners and eliminating ghost names from payrolls, but allegations emerged that billions in funds meant for retirees were diverted through various schemes.
His conviction stemmed from EFCC investigations into those allegations, marking one of the most prominent cases in Nigeria’s efforts to tackle pension fraud, a persistent issue that has left many elderly citizens without entitlements after decades of service.
The Nigerian Correctional Service later explained that Maina was released early on 25 February 2025 due to good conduct and industry while in custody, qualifying him for remission under applicable rules. His full eight-year term would have extended to around October 2027, factoring in time already served.
No official update on Maina’s current medical condition has been released beyond the aide’s statement.
