Ex-pension reform chairman Maina slumps, hospitalised in Abuja

Former chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina, is currently hospitalised after slumping in Abuja.

The incident happened on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 while he was accessing his office. 

His media assistant, Emmanuel Ekwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, said the incident followed complications from an untreated knee injury.

Ekwe said the injury caused Maina to lose his balance and fall, hitting his head on a staircase before medical personnel attended to him and rushed him to a private hospital in Abuja.

“Dr Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, slumped on the evening of Tuesday, February 3, 2026, while attempting to access his office premises,” the statement read.

“The incident followed complications from an untreated knee injury, which caused him to lose balance and fall, resulting in his head hitting the staircase.

“Medical personnel present promptly administered first aid, after which they rushed him to a private hospital in Abuja for urgent medical attention.

“Dr Maina is currently receiving intensive medical care and remains under observation. Following a preliminary medical assessment, one of the attending doctors advised that arrangements for an air ambulance medical evacuation be considered should his condition fail to stabilise within a short period.

“The family appeals to the public for prayers, understanding, and respect for their privacy at this critical time. Further updates will be communicated as developments unfold,” the statement concluded. 

Maina is widely known for his controversial role as head of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms and the high-profile corruption case that followed.

In November 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him on money-laundering charges involving N2.1bn linked to pension funds and sentenced him to eight years in prison.

Maina challenged the conviction, but in May 2023, the Court of Appeal upheld the eight-year sentence, affirming the lower court’s judgment and the forfeiture of assets tied to the case.

Despite the sentence, Maina was released from the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja on February 25, 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 effectively running from his initial arrest in October 2019

Since his release, Maina has maintained a relatively low profile, but his activities continue to draw public interest due to the scale and impact of the pension scandal.