While the buck is still being passed on who reinstatement the wanted former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms Task Team, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, The Nation reports that fresh facts have emerged that a Minister begged a detective to spare Maina and eventually “aided” his reinstatement.

‘A top source said’: “President Muhammadu Buhari needs a comprehensive appraisal of the circumstances surrounding the reinstatement of Maina. A syndicate in the government was behind the whole saga.

“For instance, a minister had met with an EFCC operative, who was coordinating the investigation of Maina, to spare the suspect. This was done before the minister was inaugurated as a FEC member.

“The said minister specifically demanded that Maina’s case be closed and the suspect should be used as a prosecution witness. He said Maina would make vital documents available to assist the EFCC.

The source said apart from the minister, Maina was even close to a former First Lady who did everything she could to protect him.

And when the EFCC probe was intense on Maina, the ex-First Lady was said to have prevailed on “the stubborn detective” to stop the investigation.

The source added: “Also, a former First Lady had tried to influence the EFCC on the investigation of Maina by mounting pressure on the same detective. This happened when CP Ibrahim Lamorde was the chairman of EFCC.