The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, son of former Pension Reform Task Team chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, nearly five years after he went into hiding while facing money laundering charges.

Faisal was reportedly apprehended in the Karsana area of Abuja following intelligence reports that he had secretly returned to Nigeria.

He has since been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further action in line with the court’s directives.

Faisal was prosecuted by the EFCC on three counts bordering on money laundering and conspiracy. During the proceedings, he reportedly violated his bail conditions and left the country, leading to his trial continuing in his absence.

In 2021, Justice Okon Abang convicted him in absentia and sentenced him to 14 years’ imprisonment over the offences.

Following the conviction, the court directed security agencies to arrest him wherever he was found in Nigeria and transfer him to a correctional facility to serve his sentence.

The court also ordered the Federal Government to take the necessary legal steps to secure his extradition if he was located outside the country.

His reported arrest in Abuja could now pave the way for the enforcement of the outstanding prison sentence, subject to the relevant legal procedures.