Former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina, has been hospitalised in Abuja after slumping on Tuesday while attempting to access his office. The incident was confirmed in a statement released on Wednesday by his media assistant, Emmanuel Ekwe.
According to the statement, Maina collapsed due to complications arising from an untreated knee injury. The injury reportedly caused him to lose balance, leading to a fall in which his head struck a staircase. Medical personnel at the scene quickly administered first aid before rushing him to a private hospital in Abuja for urgent treatment.
Ekwe disclosed that Maina is currently receiving intensive medical care and remains under close observation. Following an initial medical assessment, one of the attending doctors advised that arrangements for an air ambulance medical evacuation may be considered if his condition does not ilise within a short period.
The family has appealed to the public for prayers, understanding and respect for their privacy during this critical period. They assured that further updates would be communicated as his condition develops.
Abdulrasheed Maina is widely known for his controversial tenure as head of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms. His time in office later became the subject of a major corruption case that attracted national and international attention.
In November 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Maina on money laundering charges involving two point one billion naira linked to pension funds. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, a judgment that was upheld by the Court of Appeal in May 2023. The appellate court also affirmed the forfeiture of assets connected to the case.
Despite the sentence, Maina was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre in February 2025 after serving part of his jail term. The Nigerian Correctional Service explained that his release followed statutory remission for good conduct, with his sentence calculated from his initial arrest in October 2019.
Since regaining freedom, Maina has largely stayed out of public view, although his activities continue to attract interest due to the scale and impact of the pension scandal.
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