In a spectacle that defies irony and insults every hard-working Nigerian, Abdulrasheed Maina, the man convicted of looting N2 billion from the pensions of dying retirees, has not only walked free from prison years early but has been honored with an award by a branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

Maina, the former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, was sentenced to eight years in prison in November 2021.By simple arithmetic, he should be behind bars until late 2027. Yet, he resurfaced this Thursday at an NBA Garki Branch event, looking well-fed and defiant, to receive an award as a "patron." His quiet release in January 2026, without a whisper of official explanation, is a devastating blow to the anti-corruption war and a stark reminder that in Nigeria, the rich play by a different set of rules.

The audacity of the Thief

Maina did not just accept the award; he used the platform to launch a counter-offensive, blaming former Attorney General Abubakar Malami for his woes and claiming he was the victim of a power play. He reiterated his fantastical claim of helping recover N1.3 trillion, painting himself as a whistleblower rather than a convict. It is a classic strategy of the Nigerian elite: muddy the waters, counter-accuse, and rely on the public’s short memory.

But we must not forget the victims. These were pensioners who collapsed in queues waiting for pittances while Maina’s family schooled abroad and drove luxury cars. For the NBA—the body entrusted with upholding the rule of law—to provide a platform and an award to a convicted felon is a grotesque betrayal of its mandate. It signals that crime pays, provided you steal enough to buy respectability back.

• The Mystery Release: How did Maina get out? Was it a pardon? Parole? Good behavior? The silence from the Nigerian Correctional Service is deafening. This secret release of high-profile convicts undermines the judiciary and suggests that prison sentences are merely suggestions for the politically connected.
• The Malami Factor: Maina’s accusations against Malami, while self-serving, warrant investigation. If the thief says the sheriff was also dipping his hand in the jar, we should check the jar. However, this does not absolve Maina of his documented theft.

A Continental Disease

This incident resonates in Kenya, where we have seen our own "chickengate" and NYS scandal architects walk free or reinvent themselves as statesmen. The "Maina model"—steal, delay, serve a fraction of time, and return as a hero—is cancerous to African democracy. It erodes trust in institutions and tells the youth that integrity is a fool’s game.

Abdulrasheed Maina should be in a cell, reflecting on the lives he destroyed. Instead, he is receiving plaques. Nigeria mourns, not for Maina, but for the death of shame.