Maina Scandal: Ex-EFCC Chair, Ex-IGP, 2 Heads of Service implicated

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* N17 billion cash traced to fugitive Pensions boss
* How he bought $2m house in cash in 2012
* 19 standing trial as EFCC pursues 12 cases

About N17billion pension cash has been traced to the dismissed
chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms Task
Team, Mr. Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, with a long list of
highly-placed beneficiaries.

The said cash was diverted by Maina from the N24billion budgeted
by the Federal Government for payment of pension liabilities
through the Presidential Pension Reforms Task Team headed by
Maina.

The funds were stolen in five years from 2008 to 2013 in
tranches of N2.7billion and N14.374billion respectively.

While the N2.7billion was converted to personal use through the
connivance of banks and family members, N14.374billion was shared
by Maina and those in the chain of pension management in different
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Maina and his cohorts dipped their hands into the till under the
guise of phantom biometric verification.

Those implicated in the pension funds bazaar in the Pension Task
Force Payment Vouchers Include include a former Chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), A former Acting
Chairman of ICPC, a former Inspector-General of Police, two former
Heads of Service, Permanent Secretary (State House) and top
directors in the civil service, 18 slush companies, some operatives
of the EFCC and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Other beneficiaries included some officials of the Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC),
bankers, Bureau de Change owners, family members, top officers in
the Budget Office and the Office of the Accountant-General of the
Federation (OAGF).

The EFCC has so far filed 12 cases against 19 of those
implicated, including Maina; a former Head of the Civil Service of
the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye; Osarenkhoe Afe; Fredrick
Hamilton Global Services Limited and others.

The list of the bigwigs who allegedly benefited from Maina’s
benevolence was contained in a report submitted to the
Attorney-General of the Federation by the EFCC and the PRTT Payment
vouchers for the trial of Maina by the Office of the Director of
Public Prosecution (DPP).

The report titled CR: 3000/EFCC/ABJ/FAFI/VOL.1/ 238 was dated
August 1, 2016 and signed by the Acting Chairman of the anti-graft
commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

According to the document, Maina perpetrated the fraud through
the use of the Collective Allowance System; compilation of ghost
pensioners; fictitious contracts at inflated prices to both
registered and non-registered companies; and fake pension
verification trips.

The breakdown of the stolen N14, 374,236,846.09 cash before the
pension fraud was as follows: (I) Fictitious Contracts (N
5,761,150,608.44); (II) ghost pensioners (N829, 902, 260.40) ;(
III) Collective Allowance (N1, 365,821,942.91) (IV) Payments to
States Pension Boards& Others (N4, 192,825,310.99); (V)
National Union of Pensioners (N 2,290,593,322.35) and VI.
Association of Federal Public Service Retirees (AFPSR) N253,
390,300.

EFCC said: “The use of Collective allowance: Under this
fraudulent tactic, which became very handy under Maina and the
OHCSF, the Director would approve payment of purported staff of the
office to one single individual. After the payment is made, the
person whose account was used will withdraw 90% and hand over cash
to the Director or whoever was responsible for the payment.

“Key officials of the HoCSF asked their staff and friends to
purportedly register companies with the Corporate Affairs
Commission (CAC) in which payments were made for contracts that
were never executed; some contracts partly executed though grossly
inflated and such payments diverted to the suspects.”

Some of the highly-placed public officers were also allegedly
allocated estacodes for biometric verification trips without going
anywhere.

Some of the fake trips covered foreign shuttles to the United
States and the United Kingdom among others.

The wanted ex-PRTT doled out about N23million for a “phantom”
trip to the United Kingdom as follows:

o The Inspector-General of Police (N2,386,000);

o A late Deputy Inspector-General of Police (N1,475,600)

o A former Head of Service (N2,386,000)

o Two EFCC operatives got N1,362,960 each

Also out of a N36million approved for a “fake” trip to the US by
Maina’s PRTT, the following government officials were allocated
estacodes:

o The Head of Service and the Permanent Secretary in the OHCSF,
who received N3, 286,000 each

o A Director in the office of the Accountant-General of the
Federation (N2, 838,000)

o The Director General of the Budget Office (N4,854,000)

o A Director in the Budget Office (N2,895,000 )

o Assistant Director in Budget Office (N2,045,000)

The PRTT vouchers confirmed payment of another sum of N40.6
million to some top officials for a shuttle to Atlanta in the
United States to screen Nigerian pensioners.

Those who benefited were the following:

o A former Head of Service (N4,854,000)

o Ex-EFCC Chairman (N4,854,000)

o Permanent Secretary State House (N4,086,000)

o Another N2,738,000 was paid to Ex-EFCC Chairman

o Two operatives of the EFCC got N1,482,960 and N2,638,000
respectively.

o A staff of the NIA (N 2,638,000).

The document showed a breakdown of how pension funds were shared
to finance pension verification teams to ‘South Africa, ‘Ghana’,
and the 36 states’ of the federation, ‘zonal levels’ and others to
siphon different sums of public funds into their banks accounts in
the name of biometric verification.

Out of the N18.4million released to Maina for a trip to South
Africa, the Director -General of Budget was allocated N3,056,000
.

The per diem for the trip to Ghana cost N9.1 million out of
which a former Director of Defence Intelligence received N1,388,000
through his First Bank account. Two female staff of EFCC got
N1,275,000 each as part of the national cake.

While those who went round the 36 states, allegedly collected
N160,471,200 from Maina, a few others were paid N15,477,900 for
going round the six geo-political zones of the country

The report gave the details of how Maina allegedly collaborated
with former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve
Oronsaye, and two others in N2billion pension funds allegedly
mismanaged for biometric contracts.

The N2billion was part of the looted N17billion cash.

The others are Osarenkhoe Afe and Fredrick Hamilton Global
Services Limited suspected as fronts

The report added: “Mr. Oronsaye and Maina engaged the services
of the following individuals to assist them in looting pension
funds.

o Osarenkhoe Afe: (charged to court together with Mr. Maina
& Oronsaye): He is an IT consultant who introduced Innovative
Solutions to the OHCSF for biometric enrolment project. He stated
that, Mr. Steven Oronsaye [former Head of Service) asked him to
join the Pension Reform Committee headed by Mr. Abudulrasheed
Maina.

o Robert Ikazoboh: (Prosecution witness) He is the CEO of
Innovative Solutions & Projects Ltd – a company invited by
OHCSF to offer services regarding biometric enrolment exercise. He
stated that he was brought in to the project by Osa Afe.

He also stated that Mr. Afe verbally instructed him to work with
2 other companies namely Uptrach and Frederick Hamilton and further
instructed him as to the amount to be paid to the companies
whenever he received payments.

o Ahmed Mazangari: (Already charged to court): He is the owner
of Xangees Technologies Ltd, an information technology consultancy
firm and a friend of Maina’s brother, Khalid Biu. He was ‘engaged’
by the OHCSF through Maina based on ‘word of mouth’. He was tasked
with the job of computerizing the pension payroll but in the
process ironically ended up inserting his own 11 fake pensioners
and was used by Maina to receive N153 million for non-existing
biometric contract which was withdrawn and handed over to Maina in
cash after converting same to dollars through his brother, Khalid.
Ahmed, his mother and company are presently standing trial. He
stole N230 million as ghost pensioners’ payment from the OHCSF
(including the biometric contract).

“During the course of our investigation, the following facts
emerged: That Mr. Osarenkhoe Afe (Osa Afe), the owner of Fredrick
Hamilton Global Ltd introduced Innovative Solutions to the OHCSF
where they were awarded the contract of biometric data capture.

“That the initial contract sum was N63 million as indicated in
the award letter which was paid to Innovative Solution. However,
Innovative Solution requested for a contract extension of the sum
of N136 million which brings the total contract sum to N199 million
(both initial and additional amount).

“That from the analysis of Innovative Solution’s bank statement,
it was discovered that the total sum of N224.85million was
fraudulently paid to them showing an excess payment of 25million
against N199 million. Mr. Osa Afe confessed that, the contract sum
was inflated at the instance of Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina and the
inflated amount delivered to him.

“That Robert Ikazoboh was discovered to have transferred the
total sum of N166.5million from his company Innovative Solution’s
account to Frederick Hamilton Ltd, a company owned by Osarenkhoe
Afe.

“A transfer of N35million was discovered from Innovative
Solution to Uptrach Communication Ltd after which Robert Ikazoboh
confirmed the payment as amount paid to the company that actually
executed the contract of the biometric exercise.

“That Osarenkhoe Afe was also discovered to have been paid the
sum of N l19.4 million as biometric enrolment exercise through his
company Fredrick Hamilton. Investigation revealed that the company
has no contract award letter from OHCSF nor did it carry out any
contract.

“That including the amount remitted to Fredrick Hamilton from
Innovative Solution, Fredrick Hamilton Ltd was discovered to have
been fraudulently credited with the total sum of N 289.05 million
out of which Mr. Osarehkhoe Afe confessed to have remitted over
N250 million to Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina. Mr. Osa Afe admitted to
have benefited N35million only and promised to refund same.

“Mr. Osa Afe confessed that, he issued blank cheques from his
Skye Bank Account no. 1341770007353 to Mr. Maina which he used for
making the withdrawals and sometimes he goes with Maina to Oceanic
Bank to make the withdrawals and hand them over to him instantly.
This has been confirmed by Oceanic Bank Fredrick Hamilton Ltd
account officer.

“That one Salami Kareem Adesokan a storekeeper attached to the
PRTT confessed that the total sum of N147,765,400.00 fraudulently
paid through various banks from OHCSF to three different companies
namely Fatidek Ventures, Jolance and Oblando Nigeria Ltd for
fictitious Biometric contract were collected cash by him and
delivered same to Mr. Maina through one Ann Igwe (Maina’s
confidential secretary).

“That the total sum of N153,146,719 fraudulently paid to
XangeTechnologies Limited from OHCSF for fictitious Biometric
contract was transferred to a Bureau de Change, converted to U.S.
dollars and then delivered to Mr. Maina through his relative, one
Khalid Ali Biu.”

The report gave the details of how Maina had used some firms,
individuals and many accounts to siphon pension funds.

The EFCC said: “Investigation revealed that Mr. Maina
fictitiously owned and operate the following accounts in the
following names: Cluster Logistics, Drew Investment &
Construction Ltd, Kongolo Dynamics Cleaning Ltd, “Dr” Abdullahi A.
Faizal, Nafisatu Aliyu Yeldu and Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina,

“That analysis of the above listed accounts revealed a total
turnover of more than N2.7 billion. It is important to note that
95% of deposits into the fraudulent accounts were cash deposits
made by bankers in their own names and other fictitious names.

“Investigation revealed that Mr. Maina fraudulently opened and
fictitiously operated all the accounts with the active connivance
of bank staff namely: Danjuma Zubairu, Toyin Meseke (Account
Officer to some of the accounts investigated), Khalid Ali Biu
(Maina’s relation) and Abubakar Gombe (Account officer of one of
the accounts investigated) in Kaduna Branch.

“Forensic analysis of Toyin Meseke telephone handsets revealed
several text messages and email correspondences regarding specific
instructions on running the accounts from Abdulrasheed Maina

“Investigation revealed that Danjuma Zubairu (Group Head of
Private Banking) mostly approved those transactions via telephone
and email instructions from Maina.

“That Toyin Meseke bought the sum of ($200,000) equivalent of
N33,800,000 from one Bashir Mohammed Taura, a Bureau de Change
operator, and instructed him to facilitate the delivery of same
money to Abdulrasheed Maina in Dubai, U.A.E on 05/05/2014.

” Toyin Meseke also bought another sum of $250,000) equivalent
of N42,500,000) from one Bashir Mohammed Taura, a bureau de Change
operator and instructed him to facilitate the delivery of same
money to Abdulrasheed Maina in Dubai U.A.E on 05/06/2014

“That Toyin Meseke facilitated the transfer of the total sum of
N33,105,000 to ALNASRA BDC & JIEK BDC on behalf of Abdulrasheed
Maina from Cluster Logistics account for the purpose of buying U.S.
dollar on 10/03/2014

“That Toyin Meseke also facilitated the part liquidation of
Maina’s fixed deposit of N100,850,000 and subsequent transfer to
Neural Wax BDC on 07/07/2015 for buying U.S. dollars on behalf
Abdulrasheed Maina and delivered same to one Mairo Bashir (Maina’s
relation) of UBA Maitama Branch Abuja.

“That the total sum N26.5 million was paid to the Federal
Housing Authority from Kongolo Dynamics Ltd and a balance of N4.4
Million was paid to Alhaji Tijjani Yusuf between 20/10/08 &
19/11/08 for the purpose of buying a property located at No.12,
11th Road Kado Estate Abuja owned by Abdulrasheed Maina.

“That four bank drafts totaling N30 million were issued same day
(15/03/2010) in favour of one Titus Adeboye from Kongolo Dynamics
Ltd account. Mr. Adeboye confirmed that the fund traced to him was
for the purpose of acquiring a property for Mr. Maina (block of
shops) located at C2 Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Kaduna.

“That Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina bought another property located at
No. l0 Amisi Musa Street, Jabi Abuja FCT from one Alhaji Adamu
Modibbo and paid the sum of $2m cash, equivalent of N340 million in
June 2012.

“Finally investigation has established that all the accounts are
linked to Mr. Maina either through his phone number, email address
or transactions between the accounts and testimonies of the account
officers/ bankers involved in this complex money laundering
scheme.

“A total number of eight GSM lines have been traced by the EFCC
as the ones used by Maina to give instructions to banks, cronies
and associates to launder the huge amount under investigation.

The numbers were listed by the anti-graft agency as 08098887733,
08037872471, 08142277550, 07037900714, 08106842813, 08091501002,
+971552717234 and +971526294678.

“Furthermore investigation also confirmed that the source of
funds in the accounts could only be from those fictitious contracts
and other bogus payments from government, particularly OHCSF
Pension Department and CIPPO where Maina superintended at various
times between 2008 and 2013, as no known existing and viable
business was identified as source of funds into the account and the
account officers confirmed same.

“It is also pertinent to note that the Special Audit conducted
by the Auditor-General of the Federation also confirmed those
violations investigated by the commission.”

As at press time, those standing trial for the pension fraud in
the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation are
Oronsaye; Maina; the Director of Finance and Account, Dr. Sani
Shuaibu Teidi, Mrs. Phina Ukamaka Chidi, Deputy Director, Aliyu
Bello, Special Assistant to Director of Administration, Olanipekun
Emmanuel, Head of Final Account, Abdul Mohammed, Assistant Cash Pay
Officer, Garbo Tahir, Cashier and M.K. Ahmed, Assistant Director,
Variation.

Others charged for abetting laundering are Osarenkhoe Afe;
Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited; Franklin Nwankwo and
Eric D. Omoefe; one Abdullahi Omeiza (charged for his role in
operating 13 pension accounts in 13 different banks with 13
different names; Alhaji Ali Abatcha and Elder Actor Zal, former
President and Secretary General of the Nigerian Union of
Pensioners.”

Culled: Nation