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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, days after he was convicted and sentenced in absentia over a massive N33.8bn fraud case linked to Nigeria’s power sector. EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede confirmed on Tuesday that the former minister was apprehended in Kaduna State during an early morning operation after weeks of surveillance by operatives of the anti-graft agency. 
Mamman was recently sentenced to 75 years imprisonment by the Federal High Court in Abuja after Justice James Omotosho found him guilty on all 12 counts of money laundering and financial misappropriation brought against him by the EFCC. Prosecutors accused the former minister of diverting funds meant for critical national power projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric projects, through several private companies and suspicious transactions. The court ruled that the EFCC successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt despite Mamman’s absence during proceedings. 
According to Olukoyede, two other individuals suspected of helping the former minister evade arrest were also apprehended during the operation. The EFCC boss disclosed that investigations were ongoing into the property where Mamman had reportedly been hiding since his conviction. Shortly after the arrest, the commission released official mugshots of the former minister, marking a dramatic turn in one of Nigeria’s most high-profile anti-corruption cases in recent years. 
The case has reignited public debate over corruption within Nigeria’s troubled electricity sector, which has continued to struggle with inadequate power supply despite repeated government investments and reforms over the years. Analysts say Mamman’s arrest and conviction represent one of the toughest corruption punishments handed to a former Nigerian cabinet minister in recent times, while anti-corruption advocates argue that the development could strengthen public confidence in efforts to hold powerful political figures accountable. 
