The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Faisal Abdulrasheed Maina, son of former Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, in Abuja and handed him over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enforce his outstanding conviction for money laundering.

Faisal was reportedly arrested in the Karsana area of the Federal Capital Territory after security operatives received intelligence indicating that he had secretly returned to Nigeria.

Security sources disclosed that the DSS tracked and apprehended him before transferring him to the EFCC, which had prosecuted him over financial crimes.

His arrest, reported on Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17, 2026, brings a fresh development to a case that has remained unresolved since he allegedly fled the country in 2020 after being granted bail.

Faisal had faced a three-count charge bordering on money laundering and conspiracy brought by the EFCC. His trial continued in his absence after he reportedly breached his bail conditions and left Nigeria.

In October 2021, the Federal High Court in Abuja convicted him on the money-laundering charges and sentenced him to 14 years’ imprisonment.

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The trial judge, Justice Okon Abang, held that the EFCC had established that Faisal operated a fictitious account with United Bank for Africa (UBA), through which his father allegedly laundered N58.1 million.

The court found that the money was deposited into an account operated in the name of Alhaji Faisal Farm 2 and withdrawn by Faisal and his father between October 2013 and June 2019.

In November 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld Faisal’s conviction but reduced his prison sentence from 14 years to seven years. The appellate court ruled that the trial court should not have imposed the maximum sentence on a first-time offender.

The court had also ordered that Faisal be arrested wherever he was found in Nigeria and taken into custody to serve his sentence. It further directed the Federal Government to take lawful steps to secure his extradition if he was found outside the country.

His transfer to the EFCC is expected to facilitate the implementation of the court’s judgment and the enforcement of the outstanding prison sentence.

The arrest also comes amid renewed legal troubles involving his father, Abdulrasheed Maina, who formerly headed the now-defunct PRTT.

The elder Maina was convicted in a separate pension-fund fraud case and served an eight-year prison sentence at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja before his release earlier in 2026.

He was subsequently declared wanted by the EFCC over an alleged case involving the receipt of stolen property.

The EFCC’s actions against both father and son stem from separate legal proceedings, and the allegations in the elder Maina’s latest case remain distinct from Faisal’s existing conviction.

Faisal’s arrest is expected to allow the relevant authorities to take further steps in enforcing the court order after years of his absence from the country.

The DSS and EFCC had not publicly provided further details about the next steps following the reported transfer at the time of publication.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has raised the alarm over allegations that some parents and guardians are facilitating the sexual exploitation of children for money, warning that anyone found culpable will face prosecution.

The warning followed the arrest of a middle-aged woman in Abuja over allegations that she offered her teenage daughter to men for sexual gratification in exchange for money.

NAPTIP’s Director-General, Binta Adamu Bello, expressed concern over the reported cases, describing the alleged involvement of parents in the sexual exploitation of their children as a grave betrayal of their responsibility to protect them.

Bello issued the warning in Abuja on Friday, October 16, 2026, amid concerns about child sexual abuse, trafficking and exploitation in Nigeria.

The agency has not publicly disclosed the identities of the suspect or the alleged victim. Details of the alleged transactions, the number of people involved and the status of the investigation have also not been fully disclosed.

The Director-General said reports received at NAPTIP’s headquarters and commands across the country suggested that cases of parents allegedly facilitating the sexual abuse of their children for financial benefits could be increasing. However, the agency has not released figures establishing the scale of the reported cases.

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She warned that the sexual exploitation of children could cause lasting physical and psychological harm, undermine their well-being and expose them to serious health risks.

Bello stressed that parents and guardians should be protectors of children rather than facilitators of abuse, adding that no financial reward could justify the exploitation of a minor.

She said NAPTIP had strengthened its monitoring and enforcement mechanisms and was working with other law enforcement agencies and relevant partners to investigate reports of child abuse and prosecute suspects where sufficient evidence exists.

The agency has also directed its commands nationwide to intensify surveillance, improve rapid-response mechanisms and ensure that reports involving child abuse and sexual exploitation receive appropriate attention.

Bello maintained that anyone found to have facilitated the sexual exploitation of a child would be held accountable in accordance with the law.

The NAPTIP chief also urged parents to exercise greater vigilance over people who have access to their children, particularly when they are away from home.

She advised families to conduct proper background checks on domestic workers, drivers, gardeners, gatekeepers, school-run operators and other service providers who may interact with children as part of their daily duties.

According to the agency, safeguarding children requires parents and guardians to take reports of suspicious behaviour seriously and establish appropriate measures to prevent abuse.

The warning comes amid wider concerns over human trafficking and child exploitation in Nigeria.

On September 1, 2026, reports indicated that NAPTIP had rescued more than 180 trafficked children across five states following investigations into suspected trafficking networks.

Some suspects allegedly posed as representatives of civil society organisations and approached families in vulnerable communities with promises of educational assistance and back-to-school support before taking their children away.

One reported case involved three children allegedly taken from a parent in Kajuru, Kaduna State, and later recovered from a private building in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Other children were reportedly recovered during investigations into suspected trafficking activities involving locations in Benue and Nasarawa states, Abuja and other areas.

The agency also reported cases in which children were allegedly moved between locations and placed in orphanages under circumstances investigators suspected involved trafficking and unlawful transactions.

These cases are separate from the Abuja sexual-exploitation allegations but highlight the different methods through which children can be exposed to abuse, trafficking and financial exploitation.

NAPTIP has urged members of the public to report suspected cases of child abuse and trafficking and cooperate with investigations aimed at protecting vulnerable children.

The agency reiterated its commitment to investigating allegations, rescuing victims and prosecuting suspected offenders where the evidence supports criminal charges.

The allegations against the woman arrested in Abuja have not been established in court. The outcome of the investigation will determine whether charges can be sustained against her or any other person suspected of involvement.

NAPTIP warned that parents and guardians who facilitate the sexual exploitation of children could face legal consequences if found guilty, stressing that protecting children must remain a shared responsibility of families, communities and relevant authorities.