Kaduna, Nigeria — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, in Kaduna State weeks after he was convicted and sentenced to a cumulative 75-year jail term over corruption charges involving N22 billion.
Mamman, who had reportedly gone into hiding following his conviction, was apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday in the Rigasa area of Kaduna after what the Commission described as sustained surveillance and intelligence operations.
Confirming the arrest, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said the former minister was tracked down after evading justice despite being found guilty by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
“On May 7, 2026, Justice James Omotosho found Mamman guilty on all 12 counts bordering on diversion of funds meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects,” Olukoyede said.
“The court convicted him in absentia after agreeing with the Commission that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.”
He added that securing Mamman’s arrest was critical to enforcing accountability and ensuring that convicted persons serve their sentences.
“For us, getting the convict to serve his jail terms is extremely important in view of the seriousness with which we are tackling corrupt practices. We will process his transfer to the Correctional Centre accordingly,” he said.
The court had established that Mamman and his associates diverted no less than N22 billion meant for key power infrastructure projects, describing the act as a grave abuse of public trust.
Justice Omotosho ruled that the former minister used proxy companies and collaborators to siphon funds allocated to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric projects, while the defence failed to discredit the prosecution’s case.
Mamman, who served as Minister of Power between 2019 and 2021, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on multiple counts, alongside additional terms on other charges, with all sentences ordered to run consecutively.
The total sentence amounts to 75 years.
The court had earlier ordered his arrest after he failed to appear for sentencing on May 13, prompting proceedings to continue in his absence.
In a related development, the former minister is also standing trial before a Federal Capital Territory High Court over a separate alleged N31 billion fraud case. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest on May 11 by Justice Maryanne Anenih after he failed to appear in court.
The EFCC said the arrest marks a significant step in its anti-corruption drive and underscores its commitment to ensuring that no convicted individual evades justice.
