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EFCC declares ex-pension boss Maina wanted over alleged stolen properties

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared the former chairman of the defunct pension reform task team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, wanted.

Maina was listed on the commission’s wanted persons portal over an alleged case of “receiving stolen properties”. 

According to the wanted notice, “Maina, 61, is an indigene of Biu in Borno State.”

“Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies.”

It would be recalled that the commission had previously declared Maina wanted in 2015 over his alleged involvement in a separate pension biometric contracts case involving former Head of Service of the Federation Steve Oronsaye and two others.

At the time, the EFCC said Maina had been charged alongside Oronsaye and others before the federal high court in Abuja on a 24-count charge bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence but had failed to appear in court.

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Maina also faced prosecution by the EFCC in 2019 over alleged pension fraud and money laundering.

The EFCC accused him of taking possession of about N1.82 billion through a Fidelity Bank account and using another account operated in his sister’s name to divert pension funds.

During his trial, Maina jumped bail and stopped attending proceedings in September 2020, prompting the trial judge to revoke his bail and order his arrest. 

Maina was arrested in Niger Republic on November 30, 2020, through a joint operation involving the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), INTERPOL National Central Bureau, Abuja, and their Nigerien counterparts.

He was extradited to Nigeria on December 3, 2020, and received by police officers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

In November 2021, the commission secured his conviction before the federal high court in Abuja on a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering, operating fictitious bank accounts and fraud.

Okon Abang, the presiding judge, found Maina guilty on all 12 counts and sentenced him to a total of 61 years in prison, with the terms to run concurrently from October 25, 2019, the date of his arraignment.

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The court also ordered him to refund N1 billion to the federal government, while his company, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd, was ordered to refund N183 million and $223,000.

The court of appeal upheld his conviction in May 2023.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Obi campaign: OK Movement tackles NDC, Obidients

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1. A fresh disagreement has emerged within the political groups backing Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential ambition, as the United Kingdom Coordinator of the OK Movement, Adebayo Brown, accused leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council and the Obidient Movement of fuelling divisions among supporters.

The accusation followed a disagreement over claims that Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had dissociated themselves from the OK Movement.

2. Southwest All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders yesterday resolved to mobilise the six states to give an overwhelming number of votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the January 16  election. The leaders, who met in Lagos, decided to work assiduously to deliver votes that will surpass what the President got in the 2023 election i

3. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State. The commission said the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence and surveillance on the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.

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4. The National Youth Service Corps has identified four irregularities in a certificate linked to former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, insisting that the document was not issued by the corps. An Assistant Director in the NYSC Department of Certification, Yusuf Jumare, disclosed this on Tuesday while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the alleged certificate forgery and money laundering case against Nnaji before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

5. The National Assembly is set to transmit the proposed State Police Bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent after completing the authentication of approvals secured from 28 state Houses of Assembly. The Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, confirming that the number of state legislatures that had approved the proposed constitutional amendment exceeded the constitutionally required threshold of 24 states.

6. The Ondo State Police Command has uncovered a suspected counterfeit currency production site in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state, arresting one suspect and recovering three bags of suspected fake United States dollar notes. The command said the operation took place on October 29 at Kiniso Village, via Ajue, following investigations into a complaint by a man who allegedly received counterfeit dollars from two men during a currency exchange transaction.

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7. The Department of State Services, DSS, has dismissed allegations by former Vice President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, that it is organising protests to disrupt political activities in Sokoto State. The Service said its operatives had been providing security protection to political candidates across party lines, citing the evacuation of the ADC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Mannir Daniya, during an attack on October 31, 2026.

8. The African Democratic Congress has kept the venue of its presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State secret ahead of Wednesday’s kickoff, citing security concerns amid allegations of attempts to disrupt the event. The party said it was taking precautionary measures to avoid being caught unawares, following reports of a possible plot to frustrate the rally scheduled for November 4.

9. The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered a suspected high-tech indoor cannabis farm at a residential property in Apapa, Lagos State, arresting a Polish national and a Nigerian in connection with the discovery. It was learnt that the suspects were identified as Thomas Razvickas, 49, a Polish national, and James Chisome, 36, a Nigerian. Both reportedly reside at the property where the facility was discovered.

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10. The Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi has set free and approved an initial payment of N20 million to four suspects, out of which each suspect is to receive five million Naira as compensation after being cleared of alleged membership of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

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Tinubu deserves credit for bringing Nigeria back from the brink, says Emir Sanusi 

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The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said that President Bola Tinubu deserves credit for bringing Nigeria’s economy back from the brink, citing improvements in economic growth, inflation, foreign reserves, and export diversification.

Emir Sanusi, who gave the commendation while speaking on Tuesday at the Oxford Global Think Tank conference convened by Arunma Oteh, said the country is beginning to lay the foundations for economic stability, although significant challenges remain.

“I’m not a fan of politicians, but we need to give credit to President Tinubu’s administration for bringing us back from the brink,” he said.

Sanusi, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, said the economy grew by 4.48 percent in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, describing the performance as progress compared with the average growth recorded during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

“GDP in Q2 2026 was at 4.48 percent. It’s not as high as it was under the Yar’Adua/Jonathan government, but during the Buhari years, the economy grew by 0.9 percent. Today it’s at 4.5 percent. That’s progress,” he said.

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Sanusi also noted the decline in inflation from about 30 percent to 14.6 percent, adding that it was projected to fall to 12.5 percent by the end of the year.

He said Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, measured in dollar terms, had increased by 47 percent since 2023.

According to the emir, “If we continue at this rate, by the end of next year, GDP per capita will be back to where it was in 2005”.

He also cited the country’s foreign reserves, which he put at $55 billion, but cautioned that a significant portion of the inflows was driven by foreign portfolio investments (FPI), which are volatile.

He attributed the continued inflows partly to high oil prices amid the war in the Strait of Hormuz and the attractive returns available to investors in Nigeria.

“Our reserves are at $55 billion, and yes, a lot of it is driven by portfolio flows, which are volatile,” he said.

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He said high oil prices and returns on Nigerian investments have encouraged foreign investors to maintain their exposure to the country.

On diversification, Sanusi said “20 percent of Nigeria’s exports were coming from the Dangote refinery”, describing the development as evidence of progress beyond the country’s traditional export sources.

“There are clearly foundations being laid for stability. It’s not the end, but the first step towards stability,” he said.

The emir, however, criticised the Tinubu administration’s communication of its economic policies, saying the government appeared to interpret criticism and suggestions as attacks.

“This government doesn’t express itself properly. It sees every suggestion and contribution it does not like as an attack, and it doesn’t have good spokespersons,” he said.

Despite his reservations about the government’s communication, Sanusi said the administration deserved recognition for the economic gains recorded so far.

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EFCC uncovers illegal oil refinery in Ogun

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says its operatives have uncovered an illegal oil refinery operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the facility was discovered on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of its Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 following intelligence gathering and surveillance of the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.

Oyewale said the facility was deserted when operatives stormed the premises, following an earlier crackdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.

The operatives discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks suspected to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.

According to the statement, “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission uncovered an illegal oil refinery operated by Chinese in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

“The operation, conducted on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, followed credible intelligence and surveillance by the Commission on the activities of the illegal sludge oil refiners.

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“The refinery was found deserted when EFCC operatives stormed the premises, following the Commission’s earlier clampdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area. However, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the location.”

Oyewale said operatives also discovered underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.

“Two of the underground tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), otherwise known as diesel.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and transported it to the illegal facility in Ogere for processing,” Oyewale added.

He said the operators subjected the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through chambers and filters in a process believed to produce diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.

“Personnel at the facility told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators never disclosed their identities nor the name of the company behind the facility.

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“Consequently, operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC have since taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, the ownership of the facility and the full extent of the suspected illegal activities and economic sabotage,” he added.

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