NEWS
N2bn fraud: Maina on the run
Published
7 years agoon
By
Reporter
The embattled ex-chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, who has been accused of complicity in a N2bn fraud, has gone into hiding.
The fugitive, who is still on the wanted list of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for the alleged offence, went into hiding soon after news that the anti-graft agency had launched a manhunt for him became public.
One of our correspondents gathered that Maina, who had been reinstated as an acting director in the Ministry of Interior, was to meet with yet to be identified persons in his office but apparently had a change of heart because he was nowhere near the office building when our reporter arrived at the office at 8.20am and at 2.00pm when he left.
The office located at the Old Secretariat in Area 1, consists of a reception, a waiting room before a massive door leading up to the director’s office.
The reception looked dreary while two young men in the waiting room fiddled with their phones as they conversed in low tones. Attempts to speak with the female secretary, who refused to give her name, failed as she rebuffed all questions.
In response to enquiries about the whereabouts of her new boss, she snapped, “I don’t know where he is.”
A source, who spoke to one of our correspondents, in confidence because of the sensitivity of the matter, said Maina travelled to Kano during the weekend and had given appointments to some persons to meet him at the office on Monday but went into hiding soon afterwards.
The source said, “He planned to meet with some visitors in his office on Monday but for him to have aborted the appointment and switched off his phones meant he had gone underground. He may not be seen for a little while.”
It was learnt that the fugitive had over the last few months held meetings with several groups and individuals with respect to his ambition to contest in the 2019 governorship election in his home state of Borno.
“Maina has not hidden his political plans as he is known to broadcast his ambition on WhatsApp platform to his friends and associates,” the source further explained.
Nigeria’s foremost anti-graft agency, the EFCC also said it was still searching for Maina whom it declared wanted about two years ago.
The EFCC Spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, who spoke to one of our correspondents around 8pm on Monday, said the commission was still on his trail.
He, however, stated that the commission had marked his houses in Abuja including a house in Jabi said to be worth about $2m.
Uwujaren said, “Yes, his properties were marked today. To the best of my knowledge, he has not yet been arrested.”
Another source within the EFCC accused a sister security agency, the Department of State Services, of shielding the suspect from arrest.
The source said Maina was moving around town in a bulletproof Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle and two or three vehicles.
The source said, “We have traced him to a hotel in Kaduna where he went to spend the weekend; we know that the DSS is protecting him and the DG DSS, deployed men to protect him. But make no mistake, we will arrest him, already we’ve frozen all his accounts.”
Another source said, “He stays in a property which is a DSS safe house. He moves around in a convoy of about two or three vehicles. I personally saw him alighting from a Range Rover SUV last week with about four DSS officials.”
The DSS, which does not have an official media relations officer, also responded to EFCC’s allegations through a source close to it, the source challenged the EFCC to support its claims with evidence.
The DSS source said, “There is no need responding to baseless allegations because there was nothing like that. Both of us are doing same work, which is apart from making the country safe from fraudulent people, we also collaborate with each other in the area of collating of data on other things. This is why I’m surprised on this baseless allegation by an unknown person. Anyway, that’s all.”
Commenting on the manhunt for the fugitive, prominent human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), called on the EFCC to compel Dambazzau to produce him.
Falana said since the minister had admitted that Maina was working under him, he should know his whereabouts.
He said, “The allegation on the ground is that he has stolen N100bn from pension fund. It is the worst case of corruption. It is a crime against humanity to divert money meant for pensioners. Whether he was reinstated properly or not is diversionary. The questions should be when will government recover the money? When will he be arraigned?
“The EFCC should ask those who reinstated him to produce him. He is in a ministry and the minister has come out to admit that he has been promoted.”
A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, hailed the President for taking action but noted that Buhari lacked the power to dismiss a civil servant as it contravenes Rule 04102 of the Public Service Rules which provides that “the power to dismiss and to exercise disciplinary control over officers in the Federal Civil Service Commission is vested in the FCSC.”
Ogunye, however, urged the President to sack all his political appointees that might have aided Maina.
Earlier on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered for Maina’s immediate disengagement from the Federal Civil Service and directed the Head of Service, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, to furnish his office with a full report on the circumstances of his recall.
This was contained in a tweet by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, on his Twitter handle, @FemAdesina, on Monday.
Adesina tweeted, “PMB orders immediate disengagement of Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina from service. Asks for full report on circumstances of his recall.”
In a statement he later signed, Adesina quoted the President as ordering that the full report should be submitted to his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, for onward transmission to him before the close of work on Monday.
One of our correspondents gathered that Mrs. Oyo-Ita, who was in her home state for the burial of her close relative when the presidential order was given, had to rush back to attend to it.
An official in her office told our correspondent, “Madam is not in town. She is bereaved; she lost her sister and the burial took place this weekend but she is finding her way back to Abuja now.”
In a statement signed on her behalf by an Assistant Director, Media Relations, in the office of the Head of Service, Mohammed Manga, the HoS claimed that Maina’s reinstatement and subsequent posting did not originate from her office.
The three-paragraph statement read, “The attention of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has been drawn to several media reports that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has approved the reinstatement into the Federal Civil Service of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina and his subsequent posting to the Ministry of Interior.
“The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation wishes to inform the public that the re-instatement and posting of Alhaji Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina never emanated from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“Consequently, the purported reinstatement and posting by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation is totally erroneous and misleading.”
Oyo-Ita’s claim contradicts claims made by the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (retd.), who had while absolving himself of complicity blamed the office of the HoS.
Dambazau had in a statement on Sunday claimed that the wanted man was posted to his ministry by the HoS a “few day ago” to fill a vacancy.
At about 8.24pm on Monday, The PUNCH exclusively confirmed that Mrs. Oyo-Ita had complied with the President’s directive by submitting a report on the circumstances surrounding the reinstatement and subsequent posting of Maina as an acting director in the Ministry of Interior.
While confirming that she has carried out the President’s directive, Oyo-Ita explained that the role played by her office in the whole saga was based on legal advice by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
The following conversation ensued between our correspondent and the HoS:
The PUNCH: I am trying to find out Ma if you have made the report on Maina’s reinstatement available to the President as directed.
Oyo-Ita: Oh! Of course, I have.
The PUNCH: Oh, You’ve done that already?
Oyo-Ita: Yes, I did.
The PUNCH: We have also seen a statement from your office that you did not order his reinstatement.
Oyo-Ita: Yes! Please, I need to correct that erroneous impression.
The PUNCH: We also have a document indicating that the advice for Maina’s reinstatement was given by the AGF.
Oyo-Ita: Yes.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on Monday evening confirmed that the Presidency had received Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita’s report on the reinstatement of Maina.
In a text message, Shehu said the report was being studied while others were being awaited. He did not state the other reports being awaited.
“I have confirmation that the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Oyo-Ita, has brought the report on the re-engagement of Abdulrasheed Maina as directed by the President. This is being studied as other reports are being awaited,” he wrote.
When contacted, the Director, Press and Public Relations, of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Dr Joel Oruche, said, “The Presidency has already cancelled the posting of the man.”
Asked further to comment on the authenticity of a letter purportedly written by the commission to the HoS to reinstate Maina, he said, “Send it (letter) to me. Let me see it first. By tomorrow (Tuesday), I will find out what happened.”
Maina got N22m salary arrears –PDP
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party said it was not surprised by the Federal Government’s controversial decision to reinstate Maina.
The PDP said the decision was a confirmation of the classical novel by a British author, Jeffery Archer titled, Honour among thieves, where he postulated that criminals do not compromise the actions of other criminals”.
The former ruling party warned that corruption would soon consume the country.
PDP’s position was contained in a statement signed by its spokesman, Dayo Adeyeye, in Abuja on Monday. According to him, Nigerians had expected Maina to be arrested not reinstated.
He said, “It is in the light of this that the PDP wishes to state that we are not too shocked at the steps taken by the administration of the All Progressives Congress in reinstating a supposed criminal and fugitive, Abdulrasheed Maina, to office instead of getting him arrested. Birds of a feather flock together.
“All people of good conscience will not forget in a hurry that Maina, who was given an assignment by the last administration of the PDP to superintend the now defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, dipped his hands into the jar and helped himself to N100bn of what he was supposed to safeguard.
“With good conscience at fighting corruption, the PDP government then, mandated the anti-corruption agencies to perform their constitutional duty. Maina fled, only to resurface in the country four months ago under the Buhari administration.”
He added, “As a party of good conscience, we wish to condemn in strongest terms the penchant of the administration of President Buhari to giving safe haven to known criminals while hoodwinking Nigerians that it’s fighting corruption.”
Adeyeye also alleged that Maina had been paid N22m salary arrears by the Federal Government.
He said, “We are worried that the APC administration seem to have grown thick skins to constructive criticism; otherwise, no sane government, in spite of the open condemnation the party has received from Nigerians over its shielding of criminals, will repeat another one as done in the case of Maina.
“It is reported that the fugitive has been rewarded with payment of bogus salary arrears amounting to N22m, which he has reportedly collected upon approval and released by the Accountant General of the Federation. We dare the government of the day to deny this with verifiable evidence.”
The party equally demanded the immediate sacking of the Minister of Interior and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for complicity in Maina’s journey back into the system.
Meanwhile, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ordering Maina’s immediate disengagement from service.
While commending President Buhari for acting promptly, Wabba said, “The manner of Mr. Maina’s re-engagement and posting as Director to the Ministry of Interior is an affront to law and procedure, insult to Nigerians and a mockery of Mr. President’s fight against corruption; indeed, it is the height of arrogance and impunity.”
The labour union also demanded a full investigation into the matter.
– Punch
BUSINESS
Samsung Galaxy S25 Series Sets The Standard Of AI Phones As A True AI Companion
Published
3 months agoon
January 31, 2025
Samsung Galaxy S25 series sets the standard of AI phones as a true AI companion
…Pioneering the multimodal era with the most context-aware and personalized mobile experience
Lagos, Nigeria – January 23, 2025 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the Samsung Galaxy S25 series: Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25, setting a new standard as a true AI companion with the most natural and context-aware mobile experiences ever created. Introducing multimodal AI agents, the Galaxy S25 series is the first step in Samsung’s vision to change the way users interact with their phone – and with their world.
A first-of-its-kind customized Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset delivers greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI and superior camera range and control with Galaxy’s next-gen ProVisual Engine.

Galaxy S25 Ultra
With One UI 7, the Galaxy S25 series is a true AI companion that understands the context of your needs and preferences and provides personalized AI experiences with privacy assured at every turn.
It’s the starting point of a shared vision with Google to imagine Android with AI at the core, bringing together developers and partners from around the world.
AI agents with multimodal capabilities enable Galaxy S25 to interpret text, speech, images and videos for interactions that feel natural. Upgrades to Google’s Circle to Search make searching your phone screen more helpful, fast and contextual. Circle to Search now quickly recognizes phone numbers, email and URLs on your screen, letting you call, email or visit a website with a single tap.
With Galaxy S25 series, you can also perform actionable searches with context-aware suggestions for next steps. Plus, Galaxy S25 makes it frictionless to switch between apps for quick follow-up actions, like sharing a GIF or saving event details.
Galaxy S25 represents a breakthrough in natural language understanding, making everyday interactions easier. Simply ask and intuitively find a specific photo in Samsung Gallery or adjust the size of display fonts in Settings.
In the era of AI, personalization goes hand in hand with privacy. On the Galaxy S25, the Personal Data Engine powers personalized AI features by safely analyzing your data on-device to deliver highly tailored experiences that reflect your preferences and usage patterns.
These insights enable tailored experiences, such as using natural language to search for an old photo in the Gallery or being guided through the day with Now Brief, which proactively offers suggestions accessible via Now Bar on the lock screen. Knox Vault keeps all personalized data private and secure.
Combined with enhanced on-device processing capabilities, this creates a powerful, protected AI experience that is unique to Galaxy.

Galaxy S25+
Galaxy’s Most Powerful Performance Ever
The Galaxy S25 series is powered by the Snapdragon® 8 Elite for Galaxy. With unique customizations by Galaxy, this is the most powerful processor ever on the Galaxy S series. Further delivering a performance boost of 40% in NPU, 37% in CPU and 30% in GPU. This is compared to the previous generation.
This power fuels the Galaxy S25 series’ ability to process more AI experiences on-device without compromise, including previously cloud-based AI tasks such as Generative Edit.
10-bit HDR recording is now applied by default, offering four times richer color expression compared to 8-bit. Galaxy S25 can thus capture details in any lighting conditions. Plus, low-light videos have never been clearer than with Galaxy S25.
Based on powerful processor, Galaxy S25 analyzes movement and time to reduce noise more effectively. This integration allows detecting both moving and static objects with greater precision, ensuring sharper, cleaner footage in any scenario.
Galaxy S25 also introduces a range of tools once limited to specialized software, making advanced editing accessible for all. Now anyone can be a pro at editing photos and videos. Audio Eraser simplifies the removal of unwanted noise in videos. By isolating categories of sounds – including voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise – you can control what to tone down or eliminate entirely.

Galaxy S25 Series
Durable Design Embracing a More Circular Approach
The Galaxy S25 series builds upon Galaxy’s ‘Essential Design’ grounded in ‘Simple, Impactful and Emotive’ elements.
Galaxy S25 Ultra refines this essence into the slimmest, lightest and most durable Galaxy S series yet. This is with a rounded edge for a comfortable grip that complements the series’ aesthetic identity.
Galaxy S25 Ultra features durable titanium and the new Corning® Gorilla® Armor 2, a first-of-its-kind material that is more durable than glass. It combines Corning’s glass-ceramic with a proprietary anti-reflective surface treatment. This helps to ensure advanced drop protection alongside anti-reflection surface treatment and scratch resistance.
Combined with seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates, the Galaxy S25 series ensures a reliable and optimized performance over a longer lifespan.
For greater peace of mind, Samsung Care+ offers comprehensive coverage for accidental damage, repairs, and replacements, ensuring peace of mind for Galaxy users.
The Galaxy S25 series is available to order. Galaxy S25 Ultra will be available in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Black, Titanium Whitesilver and Titanium Gray. Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ will be available in Navy, Silver Shadow, Icyblue and Mint.
For more information about the Galaxy S25 series, please visit: Samsung Newsroom, SamsungMobilePress.com or Samsung.com.
MOVIES
Nollywood Director, Kemi Adetiba Teases King Of Boys 3
Published
3 months agoon
January 9, 2025By
Reporter
Nollywood director Kemi Adetiba has revealed that another instalment of King of Boys will be released on December 25, 2025. She made this announcement on her birthday through an Instagram post.
“KOB Army…. ARISE!!! It’s time…. We MOOOOOOOVE. Signed: Your General. #KOB3 #TheBeginningOfTheEnd #DettyDecember25 #KAV25,” she said.
Earlier in 2023, director Kemi Adetiba commenced pre-production for the next instalment of King of Boys.
Alongside this, she hinted at the upcoming releases of “To Kill A Monkey” and “Welcome to the Fourth.” This new King of Boys instalment, subtitled “The Beginning of the End,” will feature a blend of familiar faces and exciting new characters.
The feature-length film will make its debut in cinemas on December 25, 2025. This groundbreaking series centres around Alhaja Eniola Salami, a powerful businesswoman and philanthropist embroiled in a high-stakes power struggle.
The first film, released in 2018, captivated audiences with its compelling narrative and exceptional performances. Its sequel, “King of Boys: The Return of the King,” premiered on Netflix in 2021.
The original film boasted an ensemble cast, including the formidable Sola Sobowale as Eniola Salami, alongside Nse Ikpe-Etim, Jide Kosoko, Adesua Etomi, and Richard Mofe-Damijo.
READ ALSO: “Everybody Loves Jenifa” Become The Highest Grossing Film of All Time
Kemi Adetiba’s career began as a radio presenter at Rhythm 93.7 FM, where she hosted the popular shows “Soul’d Out” and “Sunday at the Seaside.”
During this time, she anonymously shared her remixes on platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud under the pseudonym “Hule.”
Transitioning to television, Adetiba became a prominent figure on Mnet, producing and hosting popular shows such as “Studio 53” and “Temptation Nigeria” alongside Ikponmwosa Osakioduwa.
She also hosted the Maltina Dance All reality show for three consecutive seasons.
After achieving on-screen success, Adetiba pursued her passion for filmmaking. She enrolled at the New York Film Academy to hone her filmmaking skills.
This decision led to international recognition for her work. Her short film, “Across a Bloodied Ocean,” was showcased at the 2009 Pan African Film Festival and the National Black Arts Festival.
Her directorial debut, “The Wedding Party,” a romantic comedy, premiered on September 8, 2016, as the opening film of the City-to-City Spotlight at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
MOVIES
“Everybody Loves Jenifa” Becomes Nollywood’s Highest-Grossing Film Of All Time
Published
3 months agoon
January 8, 2025By
Reporter
Nollywood filmmaker Funke Akindele has achieved a historic milestone with her latest film, “Everybody Loves Jenifa.”
The film has officially broken box office records, surpassing the ₦1 billion mark to become the highest-grossing Nollywood movie of all time.
This groundbreaking achievement was announced by FilmOne, the film’s distributor, on their official Instagram page.
“Everybody Loves Jenifa” has officially hit a historic ₦1.466 billion and counting at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of all time! A massive THANK YOU to our incredible audiences in Nigeria and Ghana for making this dream a reality. Your support is everything. On to even greater heights! Still showing in cinemas near you—experience the magic on the big screen,” the statement read.
Akindele continues her reign as a dominant force in Nollywood with this latest triumph.
“Everybody Loves Jenifa” achieved this remarkable feat in less than two weeks, further solidifying her legacy of box office successes.
Last year, her film “A Tribe Called Judah” made history by becoming the first Nollywood film to surpass the ₦1 billion mark, firmly establishing her as the queen of Nigerian cinema.
In 2023, Akindele’s “Battle on Buka Street” also achieved record-breaking success, surpassing the previous record set by her own blockbuster, “Omo Ghetto: The Saga.”
The “Jenifa” franchise has transcended the realm of a mere movie series, evolving into a cultural phenomenon.
Akindele first introduced the iconic character “Jenifa” to audiences in the 2008 Yoruba-language film “Jenifa,” captivating viewers with her wit and charm.
The character’s popularity skyrocketed with the 2015 launch of “Jenifa’s Diary.” Interestingly, the series is a beloved television series that seamlessly blended humour with valuable life lessons.
With “Everybody Loves Jenifa,” Akindele elevates the character to new heights. She delivers a heartwarming and comedic story that resonates deeply with fans.
The film boasts a stellar ensemble cast, featuring Funke Akindele as Jenifa, Folarin “Falz” Falana as Sege.
Also, Jackie Appiah, Nancy Isime, Stan Nze, Bisola Aiyeola, Patience Ozokwor, Chimezie Imo, and Isaac Olayiwola (Layi Wasabi) brought life to the movie.
Check out more movie updates here.
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