The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, who was recently convicted and sentenced in absentia by a Federal High Court in Abuja over financial crimes involving billions of naira.
EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday that Mamman was apprehended in Rigasa, Kaduna State, at about 3:30 a.m.
According to Olukoyede, the former minister had been on the run since his conviction and was arrested alongside two persons allegedly harbouring him.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal High Court in Abuja, on May 13, sentenced Mamman in absentia to 75 years imprisonment for laundering N33.8 billion.
The former minister was convicted on 12 counts bordering on money laundering and fraud linked to the alleged diversion of funds earmarked for the Mambilla and Zungeru hydropower projects.
Commending EFCC operatives for the arrest, Olukoyede described the development as evidence of the Federal Government’s resolve to combat corruption.
“We want Nigerians to know about the latest development in the fight against corruption,” he said.
“You will recall that sometime in January 2025, we filed charges against the former Minister of Power for allegedly diverting over N33 billion meant for the Mambilla and Zungeru power projects.
“About 14 months later, specifically on the 7th of this month, we secured conviction on all 12 counts.”
He explained that sentencing was initially delayed because the defendant absconded during trial proceedings, before the court eventually sentenced him in absentia on May 13.
Olukoyede said the commission subsequently intensified intelligence and surveillance operations to track him down.
“I am happy to announce to Nigerians that at about 3:30 a.m. today, we arrested Mr Saleh Mamman somewhere in Kaduna,” he said.
“This is a test of the Federal Government’s commitment to the fight against corruption. Anyone who has defrauded the government or looted public resources will not go unpunished.
“The eagle eye of the EFCC will always catch up with you wherever you are hiding.”
The EFCC chairman confirmed that Mamman is currently in the commission’s custody and that arrangements were ongoing for his transfer to a correctional facility.
He added that the two persons arrested alongside the former minister were under investigation for allegedly shielding him from arrest.
“We discovered that he had been protected all this while. The ownership of the property where he was arrested is also being investigated because it is a crime to harbour or protect a convicted person,” Olukoyede said.
He further disclosed that the commission would widen investigations into additional properties and assets allegedly linked to the convict, noting that fresh assets had already been uncovered.
Olukoyede also said the EFCC had drawn lessons from the case and would henceforth place high-profile defendants under closer surveillance during ongoing criminal trials.
“It is not in the interest of the country for someone facing criminal prosecution to escape from jurisdiction. Going forward, we will strengthen surveillance on defendants in corruption cases and work closely with the courts,” he said.
