The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has distanced itself from the controversial appointment of convicted pension fraudster Abdulrasheed Maina as “Patron” of its Garki branch in Abuja, condemning the move as disgraceful and a betrayal of the legal profession’s integrity and the fight against corruption.
Maina, the disgraced former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms who was jailed for embezzling over ₦2 billion in pension funds, was honoured by the NBA Garki Branch with a “Rule of Law and Courage Award” at an event in Asokoro, Abuja. He was decorated with a muffler inscribed “Patron, NBA Garki Branch.”
In a statement signed by NBA President Mazi Osigwe on Friday, the association denounced the branch chairman, Anthony Ojo, for orchestrating the appointment and announced that disciplinary measures would be taken against him. “The purported appointment not only paints the legal profession and the NBA in a bad light but also makes a mockery of the government’s fight against corruption,” Osigwe said, warning that endorsing such figures amounts to condoning corruption.
During the event, Maina called for renewed investigations into former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, claiming he was unfairly targeted by powerful figures in the Buhari administration. He insisted his expertise in recovering public funds was overlooked and maintained his innocence.
Maina’s conviction dates back to 2021, when Justice Okon Abang sentenced him to eight years in prison for laundering ₦2 billion in pension funds. The court described his actions as “sordid, immoral, and morbid,” noting that many pensioners suffered and died due to his fraud. His company was also convicted, and his son Faisal received a 14-year sentence for related offences. By 2024, all 23 of Maina’s properties, including one purchased with $1.4 million cash, were forfeited to the government.
Although details of his release remain unclear, associates confirmed he quietly returned home in February 2025 after completing his jail term. The NBA event marked one of his first public appearances since then.
The NBA has now ordered Ojo to withdraw Maina’s appointment and refrain from making statements about his pending Supreme Court appeal. The association stressed it would not allow its platform to be used to rehabilitate the image of anyone convicted of corruption, describing such attempts as a violation of professional ethics and an affront to the rule of law.