Security agents find $1.7m cash in Maina’s Niger Republic home

At least $1.7 million has been found in the Niger Republic home of a former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina.

The Nigerien government is said to have made this known to the Nigerian authority after its security operatives discovered the money in the home located in Niamey.

It was learnt that the Nigerian government had directed the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to investigate the matter.

It was further learnt that preliminary investigation by the NIA and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), indicated that Maina was aware of the money because the apartment used to serve as one of his hideouts in the Niger Republic.

The discovery of the cash coincided with the alleged disappearance of $1.7 million in cash from Maina’s safe house.

There are speculations that Maina, who had been on the run, but was recently found and arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), may have sneaked into Nigeria to look for the missing cash before his eventual arrest.

Before the new development, Maina was being investigated for allegedly mismanaging over N24 billion pension funds while in office.

Already, 29 assets worth N1billion suspected to be owned by him have since been seized by the EFCC.

There are also indications that Maina may be probed for the torturing of one of his nephews, Sadiq Abdullahi Ismaila.

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Ismaila.was said to have been almost tortured to death by the former pension chief discovering that $1.7million was missing from his safe house.

The EFCC is currently on the trail of Ismaila, who released a video clip showing his alleged travail over the missing cash.

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