Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, one week after he was sentenced to 75 years imprisonment for corruption.
The EFCC announced that Mamman was apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday in Kaduna State following weeks of surveillance and intelligence operations. According to the agency, the former minister had gone into hiding after being convicted earlier this month by a court in Abuja.
Mamman was found guilty on 12 counts bordering on the diversion of public funds meant for two hydroelectric power projects. The court ruled that prosecutors proved the charges beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced him in absentia after he repeatedly failed to appear in court.
The trial judge stated that Mamman and his associates diverted at least ₦22 billion earmarked for critical electricity projects through proxy companies and collaborators. The court described the act as a gross abuse of public trust.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said authorities were determined to ensure the former minister serves his jail term, stressing that the government remains committed to tackling corruption.
In addition to the conviction, Mamman is also facing another corruption trial in Abuja involving an alleged ₦31 billion fraud. A separate court had earlier issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in that case.
Mamman served as Nigeria’s Minister of Power between 2019 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The conviction has reignited public frustration over Nigeria’s electricity crisis, as the former minister had promised significant improvements in power supply during his time in office. Despite being one of Africa’s largest energy producers, Nigeria continues to experience persistent blackouts and unreliable electricity supply, forcing many households and businesses to rely heavily on fuel generators.
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