How Maina Swindled Abacha Family

  

Fugitive former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Force Alhaji Abdulrashid Maina, who is accused of embezzling billions of naira in pension funds, once swindled the family of the late Head of State General Sani Abacha of tens of millions of naira, an informed retired security officer told Daily Trust on Sunday in Kano yesterday.

The source said Maina, who had then just returned to Nigeria after a failed school sojourn in the United States, convinced the head of state’s sons to award him a contract to furnish Arewa Suites, which they had just acquired. He convinced the Abachas that he knew a lot about furnishing and interior decoration during his stay in America.

According to the source, the Abachas gave Maina tens of millions of naira to furnish the hotel and he left Nigeria for the US where he converted the money to his personal use. He never furnished the hotel despite collecting down payment, the source said. When Maina sneaked into Nigeria nearly a year later, then Chief Security Officer to Abacha Major Hamza Al-Mustapha had him arrested at the airport. Maina was kept in a military detention facility for many months, the security source said.

-dailytrust