The Nigerian Bar Association has rejected the appointment of former pension task force boss Abdulrasheed Maina as patron of its Garki branch in Abuja and has ordered a disciplinary investigation into the officials involved.
Naijaonpoint reports that association made its position known on Friday after reports emerged that the Garki branch honoured Maina at an event held on Jimmy Carter Street in Asokoro on Thursday, where he was presented as patron and given an award.
Maina, who once headed the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, was convicted and jailed for stealing more than N2 billion meant for pensioners.
At the ceremony, Maina wore a scarf bearing the title patron of NBA Garki branch and received a Rule of Law and Courage award from the branch.
The action caused public anger because of his past conviction and the long court cases linked to the pension fraud.
In a statement signed by NBA president Mazi Osigwe, the national body said it had no part in the appointment and condemned the decision taken by the Garki branch chairman, Anthony Ojo.
The association said the move damaged the image of the legal profession and made a joke of the country’s fight against corruption.
The NBA said it would begin disciplinary action against Mr Ojo and directed him to withdraw the appointment immediately.
It also told him to stop issuing any statements or acting in support of Maina or any other person with cases before the courts.
The association said any action that appears to defend or promote a person already convicted of crime goes against the values of the Bar and weakens public trust in the justice system.
It warned that lawyers must not use the name or platform of the NBA to shape public opinion or interfere with matters still before the courts.
At the award event, Maina spoke on national issues and called for fresh investigations into former Attorney General Abubakar Malami.
He claimed he was a victim of powerful people in the last government and denied that he stole public funds.
Maina was appointed in 2010 by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to clean up the pension system using biometric checks to remove ghost workers.
Instead, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission later accused him of opening fake bank accounts and using relatives to move stolen money.
During his trial, two of his sisters and a brother testified against him and explained how their personal details were used to open accounts linked to the fraud.
Investigators said some banks helped move the funds taken from pensioners.
After fleeing the country in 2013, Maina was declared wanted and later arrested in 2019 after being extradited from Niger Republic.
In November 2021, a Federal High Court sentenced him to eight years in prison for money laundering linked to N2 billion in pension funds.
The court also ordered the closure of the company used for the crime and the seizure of his properties.
In 2024, all 23 properties traced to him were finally taken over by the government.
He was released quietly from prison in early 2025 and the NBA event became one of his first public outings after leaving custody.
The NBA said integrity, discipline and respect for the law remain its core values and promised firm action against any member whose conduct brings shame to the profession.