The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, in a pre-dawn operation in Kaduna less than a week after he was sentenced in absentia for allegedly diverting over N33 billion meant for the Mambilla power project and other electricity schemes.
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EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede broke the news at a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, confirming that operatives tracked down and apprehended the former minister around 3:30 a.m. in the Rigasa area of Kaduna following intensive intelligence and surveillance work.
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A Long Time Coming
The case against Mamman dates back to January 2025, when charges were formally filed linking him to the alleged looting of funds earmarked for critical power infrastructure. Roughly 14 months later, on May 7, a court returned a guilty verdict on all 12 counts. Because Mamman was absent from proceedings, sentencing was deferred — and on May 13, he was sentenced in absentia.
From that point, the EFCC launched a full-scale manhunt, and within days, their net closed in.
Two Accomplices Also Arrested
Mamman was not alone when operatives moved in. Olukoyede revealed that two other individuals were arrested at the same location, with investigators suspecting the former minister had been deliberately shielded from arrest.
“We discovered that he was actually being protected,” the EFCC chairman said, adding that those found to have harboured a convicted felon now face criminal exposure of their own. Both individuals are currently under investigation.
More Properties in the Crosshairs
Beyond the arrest, the EFCC is also moving to seize additional assets suspected to belong to Mamman. Olukoyede disclosed that investigators recently identified another property linked to the former minister and are actively pursuing it, in addition to assets already tied to the court proceedings.
A Warning to Would-Be Fugitives
Olukoyede used the occasion to send a clear message to anyone tempted to flee corruption charges, saying the commission’s “eagle eye” would always catch up with them regardless of where they hid. He described the arrest as a demonstration of the Federal Government’s genuine commitment to fighting corruption — not merely as rhetoric but as a prosecutorial reality.
He also acknowledged, however, that the case had exposed weaknesses in how high-profile suspects are monitored during trial, and pledged that the commission would review its processes and work more closely with courts and security agencies to prevent future flight risks.
Justice Now Confronts the Convicted
Director of Public Prosecution Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, who led the prosecution, noted that the court had explicitly ordered all security agencies to apprehend Mamman wherever he was found — and stressed that the swift compliance within a week demonstrated that the conviction carried real weight.
“The important thing is that the conviction was not just symbolic,” Oyedepo said. “The judgment was delivered, the sentence was handed down, and now we have been able to confront the convict with the sentence.”
Mamman remains in EFCC custody as the process of transferring him to a correctional facility gets underway.
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