FORMER Chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina, has been hospitalised after he reportedly slumped outside his office on Tuesday in Abuja.
News Point Nigeria reports that the incident was confirmed in a statement issued by his media assistant, Emmanuel Nweke, who said Maina collapsed while attempting to gain access to the office premises.
According to the statement, Maina lost his balance on a staircase, fell, struck his head and briefly lost consciousness before help arrived.
“The incident occurred following complications from an untreated knee injury, which caused him to lose balance and fall, resulting in his head hitting the staircase,” Nweke said.
Nweke explained that medical personnel who were present at the scene immediately administered first aid before Maina was rushed to a private hospital in Abuja for urgent medical attention.
“Dr Maina is currently receiving close medical care and remains under observation,” the aide said.
He added that following an initial medical assessment, one of the attending doctors advised that arrangements for air ambulance medical evacuation should be considered if Maina’s condition does not stabilise within a short period.
“Following a preliminary medical assessment, one of the attending doctors advised that arrangements be considered for an air ambulance medical evacuation should his condition not stabilise,” the statement added.
Nweke said Maina’s family and medical team are closely monitoring his condition and appealed to members of the public for prayers, understanding and respect for the family’s privacy.
“His family and medical team are closely monitoring the situation and have appealed to the public for prayers, understanding and respect for privacy at this critical time,” he said.
Maina was recently released from the Kuje Correctional Centre, where he served part of his prison sentence following his conviction for pension fraud.
In November 2021, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja convicted Maina on charges bordering on money laundering involving over ₦2 billion in pension funds. He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in October 2019 and pleaded not guilty to a 12-count charge.
In his judgment, Justice Okon Abang held that Maina stole billions of naira belonging to Nigerian pensioners, many of whom, according to the court, “died without reaping the fruits of their labour.”
In May 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld both Maina’s conviction and his eight-year jail sentence, dismissing his appeal in its entirety.
During proceedings at the trial court, Maina had repeatedly complained of ill health. At one point, he was wheeled into the courtroom by two prison wardens, prompting Justice Abang to order the Deputy Comptroller of the Nigerian Correctional Service to personally examine him to determine the true state of his health.
The court had also warned against attempts to delay proceedings through repeated health-related excuses.
Tuesday’s incident is not the first time the former pension reform boss has slumped. In December 2020, Maina collapsed in court during his trial, leading to a temporary suspension of proceedings.
As of the time of filing this report, no official update had been provided on the stability of his condition beyond the statement issued by his aide.