EFCC Arrests Convicted Ex-Power Minister Saleh Mamman in Kaduna

Former Power Minister Saleh Mamman is no longer a fugitive. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested him in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Kaduna, nearly a week after he was sentenced to 75 years in prison for diverting billions meant for hydroelectric projects.

EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede confirmed the arrest during a press briefing, saying operatives had been tracking Mamman for weeks. “At about 3:30 a.m. this morning, we arrested Mr. Saleh Mamman in Kaduna,” Olukoyede told journalists.

The timing matters. Mamman was convicted on May 13 but never showed up for sentencing. He vanished. For nearly a week, Nigeria’s most wanted convicted official roamed free while the court had already ordered his imprisonment. The EFCC’s surveillance operation finally paid off, but the gap between conviction and capture raises uncomfortable questions about how a sentenced man stayed hidden for so long.

The 75-Year Sentence

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja didn’t mince words when sentencing Mamman in absentia. The former minister was found guilty on all 12 counts of money laundering connected to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects.

The court heard how Mamman and his associates funneled at least ₦33.8 billion through proxy companies. Some sentences run consecutively, which is how the total reached 75 years. On most counts, he got seven years without the option of a fine. The judge called it a gross abuse of public trust.

Mamman served as Power Minister from 2019 to 2021 under President Buhari. His job was to fix Nigeria’s electricity crisis. Instead, prosecutors showed he was busy diverting the very funds meant to solve the problem.

Protected While Hiding

Olukoyede dropped another bombshell: Mamman wasn’t hiding alone. The EFCC arrested two other people alongside him, accusing them of shielding a convicted fugitive. “We have discovered that he was actually being protected all this while,” the EFCC boss said.

This detail should worry anyone following Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight. A convicted minister, sentenced to 75 years, managed to stay hidden with help. The commission says it will investigate the house where Mamman was found. Who knew he was there? Who helped him disappear?

The EFCC chairman framed the arrest as proof of the government’s commitment to fighting corruption. “Anyone who has taken government or national resources will not go unpunished,” he said. “The eagle eye of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will always catch up with you wherever you are hiding.”

Why This Arrest Matters

Convictions of high-ranking Nigerian officials rarely lead to actual prison time. Bail is granted. Appeals drag on for years. Sentences are served in comfort, if at all. Mamman’s arrest breaks that pattern, at least for now.

But the real test begins now. Will he actually serve those 75 years? Or will legal maneuvers, health claims, or political pressure find a way to soften the blow? Nigerians have seen too many anti-corruption victories turn into revolving doors.

The electricity sector Mamman was meant to fix remains broken. Millions still depend on generators because the national grid fails constantly. The money that could have changed that is gone, and the man who oversaw its disappearance is finally in custody.

Mamman faces another corruption trial in Abuja involving ₦31 billion. A warrant was issued earlier this month when he failed to appear. That case now moves forward with the defendant behind bars.

Sources: BBC News, Channels Television, BusinessDay, Legit.ng, Punch