Nigerians have reacted angrily to a report that security agencies at the nation’s airports have removed Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina from their watchlist.
Recall that Maina was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2015 over alleged N2.1 billion fraud.
He was subsequently placed on the International Police wanted list.
But this reprieve from the Federal Government, The Punch reported, has enabled him to visit the country more often from his foreign base.
The paper quoted an unnamed security source as saying that powerful persons in the Presidency and the Ministry of Justice were protecting Maina, who they described as a “friend of this administration”.
Some Nigerians took to Twitter to react:
JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Security agencies remove Maina from watchlist.
— Comrade Deji Adeyanju🇳🇬 (@adeyanjudeji) April 21, 2019
How can anyone ever say Buhari is fighting corruption? You see why I never take anyone supporting this government serious.
Abdulrasheed Maina made away with CLEAN ₦2.1bn of Nigeria's pension funds
— Nafiu T (@nafeezi) April 21, 2019
How can Omotola say there is no money in circulation? See her mate Abdulrasheed Maina, who made ₦2.1bn CLEAN money, he is not complaining
Maina is even eating Kano rice in Dubai https://t.co/jPjRcqdPZx
Onnoghen, guilty, Maina… Balling. Anyway it's you people I blame https://t.co/Dv6WKWmN5z
— Ayobami (@dondekojo) April 21, 2019
Congratulations to my brother and friend , Abdulrasheed Maina, on his canonization by the PMB govt. Your “Sainthood” is an achievement well deserved. https://t.co/jUaTNQaI54
— Mazi Chima Amadi Ph.D (@AMADICHIMA) April 21, 2019
We reported this in October 2017. No be today the man gets VIP treatment. https://t.co/rlc9tgLO3k
— Abdulaziz Abdulaziz (@Abdulfagge) April 21, 2019
Nigeria; so, it's easier to remove a CJN like Onnoghen than a governor like Ganduje or even a pension boss like Maina, bearing in mind that the CJN is the number 4th citizen of the country?
— Bill Achusim (@BillAchusim) April 21, 2019
N2.1bn pension fraud: Security agencies remove Maina from watch list https://t.co/2J3Bf2YBRY pic.twitter.com/X4Upu9pbKf
— The Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) April 21, 2019
