EFCC arrests Fleeing ex Power Minister Saleh Mamman in Kaduna
ABUJA Afrik24 — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Nigeria’s former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, following a multi-day manhunt.
Mamman was recently convicted in absentia and sentenced to 75 years in prison for his involvement in a massive ₦33.8 billion financial misappropriation scheme.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede confirmed the development during a press briefing at the commission’s headquarters on Tuesday.
Olukoyede stated that operatives tracked down and apprehended the fleeing convict at approximately 3:30 am on Tuesday during a targeted raid in Rigasa, Kaduna State.
The former minister was not alone at the time of his capture, as operatives also arrested two other individuals who were allegedly harbouring Mamman in a residential property.
Olukoyede emphasized that harboring a convicted fugitive is a serious legal infraction, adding that the building where Mamman was hidden is now under active investigation.
Background of the Conviction
The arrest comes less than a week after Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja handed down a strict sentence on May 13, were the court found Mamman guilty on all 12 counts of money laundering and criminal breach of trust brought against him by the anti-graft agency.
The charges were tied to the systemic diversion of public funds meant for the construction of the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
Mamman, who served as the Minister of Power under the Muhammadu Buhari administration between August 2019 and September 2021, vanished shortly before his trial was concluded.
During the final court proceedings, his defense counsel, Mohammed Ahmed, admitted to the judge that he had completely lost contact with his client and that the former minister’s phone lines were disconnected.
In his final judgment, Justice Omotosho remarked that instead of creating a lasting energy legacy for ordinary Nigerians, the former minister lived lavishly at the public’s expense.
The court subsequently issued an immediate bench warrant, directing security agencies and Interpol to locate and apprehend him.
Next Steps for the Convict
Following the explicit terms laid out in the High Court’s ruling, Mamman’s 75-year prison sentence will officially begin counting from the exact day of his arrest.
In addition to jail time, the court ordered the final forfeiture of all foreign currencies recovered from him, alongside four premium properties located in Abuja that were linked to the laundered funds.
EFCC officials have confirmed that Mamman is currently being processed in custody and will be transferred to a federal correctional center shortly to begin serving his prison term.
