Former chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reform Task Force, Abdulrasheed Maina, has been hospitalised after collapsing in Abuja.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, while Maina was attempting to access his office.
His media assistant, Emmanuel Ekwe, said in a statement on Wednesday that the collapse was linked to complications from an untreated knee injury. The injury reportedly caused Maina to lose his balance, fall, and hit his head on a staircase before medical personnel attended to him and rushed him to a private hospital in Abuja.
“Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina 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 striking the staircase.
“Medical personnel present administered first aid and promptly transferred him to a private hospital in Abuja for urgent medical attention. Dr. Maina is currently receiving intensive care and remains under observation. Following a preliminary assessment, one of the attending doctors advised that arrangements for an air ambulance evacuation be considered should his condition fail to stabilise.
“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.”
Maina is widely known for his controversial tenure 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 of money-laundering charges involving N2.1 billion linked to pension funds and sentenced him to eight years in prison. He challenged the conviction, but the Court of Appeal in May 2023 upheld the sentence 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 counted from his initial arrest in October 2019.
Since his release, Maina has kept a relatively low profile, though his activities continue to attract public attention due to the scale and impact of the pension scandal.
