Abdulrasheed Maina, the ex-chairman of the now-defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), has been taken to a private hospital in Abuja after he suddenly collapsed on Tuesday while attempting to enter his office building, his media aide said in a statement on Wednesday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the aide, Barrister Emmanuel Umahi Ekwe, explained that Maina lost his balance and fell on a staircase due to complications from an untreated knee injury, causing him to hit his head before he passed out.
According to the aide, medical personnel at the scene administered immediate first aid, and Maina was rushed to a private medical facility in the Federal Capital Territory, where he remains under close medical observation.
Doctors are said to be monitoring his condition closely, and one attending physician advised that arrangements for an air ambulance evacuation be considered if his health does not stabilise soon.
The statement also noted that Maina’s family is appealing for prayers, understanding, and respect for their privacy during this critical period, with further updates expected as his condition evolves.
Maina has been a controversial figure in Nigeria’s public sector due to his high-profile corruption case involving pension funds. In October 2019, he was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 12-count charge of money laundering and related offences, charges he denied, but in November 2021, a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him of misappropriating over N2 billion belonging to pensioners, many of whom had died without benefiting from the funds.
The Court of Appeal upheld his conviction and eight-year sentence in May 2023. Maina was later released from Kuje Correctional Centre in February 2025 after serving part of his sentence, following statutory remission for good conduct.
Maina’s health issues have surfaced before during his trial; in December 2020, he reportedly collapsed in court, prompting authorities to order a personal health evaluation by correctional officials.
His current hospitalisation comes amid public debate over his legacy and controversies linked to pension reform and corruption in Nigeria.
