Security operatives in the Niger Republic, have blown the lid off a $1.7m cash found in an apartment suspected to belong to a former Chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, in its capital Niamey.
The Nigerien authorities have reportedly tipped off Abuja about the cash found in the apartment believed to be owned by Maina who was recently apprehended by Nigerian security operatives some weeks ago.
At N359 to $1, the 41.7m is about N610.3m.
There is the suspicion that the cash is part of the money allegedly stolen by Maina who is currently in security custody following his arrest recently by the Department of Security Services (DSS) in an Abuja hotel along with his son, Faisal.
He had allegedly sneaked into the country from Dubai apparently to avoid arrest.
Maina is under investigation for alleged mismanagement of over N24billion pension funds while in office.
Twenty-nine assets worth N1billion also suspected to be owned by him have already been seized.
The Nation gathered authoritatively that the security agencies may also probe Maina on why one of his nephews, Sadiq Abdullahi Ismaila, was almost tortured to death over how $1.7million got missing from a safe house.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is on the trail of Sadiq Abdullahi Ismaila, who released a video clip detailing his alleged travail over the missing cash.
Sources said relatives are mounting pressure on Sadiq to go underground to save Maina.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that about $1.7million cash belonging to a Nigerian was found in an apartment in Niamey by security agents.
The Nigerien Government alerted Nigeria’s Federal Government of the strange discovery of the cash, following which Abuja directed the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to investigate.
Preliminary investigation by the NIA and the EFCC suggests that Maina knows about it because the apartment in question used to serve as one of his hideouts in the Niger Republic.
The discovery of the cash in Niamey coincided with the alleged disappearance of $1.7million cash from Maina’s safe house.
Investigators suspect that the pain of losing the $1.7million may have forced Maina to sneak into the country to look for the cash before the law caught up with him.
An authoritative source said: “The $1.7m was stashed in an apartment in the Niger Republic which was being occupied by a Nigerian.
“So far, a trail of the cash by security agencies has linked Maina to the cash because the apartment was alleged to be his hideout.
“Detectives are working round the clock to uncover where the suspected pension cash was sourced and how it was ferried to the Niger Republic.
“One of the clues being probed was the allegation that Faisal Maina (the son of the ex-pension reform task force chairman) moved the cash from Nigeria to the Republic of Niger.”
