BREAKING: EFCC Arrests Former Minister After 75-Year Jail Sentence

BREAKING: EFCC Arrests Former Minister After 75-Year Jail Sentence

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, days after he was sentenced to 75 years imprisonment over a multi-billion naira fraud case linked to Nigeria’s power sector.

EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, confirmed on Tuesday that Mamman was arrested during an early morning operation in Kaduna at about 3:30 a.m., alongside two individuals allegedly found in possession of or protecting him from security operatives.

According to Olukoyede, the operation led to the arrest of the former minister at a private location currently under investigation by the commission.

“The former minister was arrested in Kaduna at about 3:30 a.m. alongside two persons who were protecting him,” he said, adding that investigators are now probing the circumstances surrounding his concealment.

The arrest follows Mamman’s conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja over the laundering and diversion of ₦33.8 billion linked to major power infrastructure projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric schemes.

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Justice James Omotosho had earlier found Mamman guilty on all 12 counts filed by the EFCC. The court imposed seven-year sentences on 10 counts, three years on one count, and two years on another, ordered to run consecutively, resulting in a cumulative sentence of 75 years.

The court also directed that Nigerian security agencies and international bodies, including Interpol, ensure the arrest and transfer of the former minister to correctional custody wherever he is found.

Court records show that the EFCC established that Mamman allegedly conspired with ministry officials, contractors, and Bureau de Change operators to divert public funds meant for critical electricity infrastructure into private accounts and asset acquisitions.

The judgment further included the forfeiture of properties and foreign currency traced to proceeds of the alleged fraud.

EFCC sources said the commission has intensified enforcement actions following the judgment to ensure compliance with the court’s directive and prevent any attempt to evade imprisonment.

Legal observers note that while high-profile corruption convictions remain rare in Nigeria’s power sector, the Mamman case represents one of the most significant rulings in recent years involving a former federal minister.

The EFCC has continued to pursue several other ongoing corruption cases involving former government officials as part of its broader anti-graft enforcement drive.

More details are expected as investigations continue.

BREAKING: EFCC Arrests Former Minister After 75-Year Jail Sentence