The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Minister of Power Saleh Mamman, who had been on the run following his conviction on corruption charges, in the Rigasa area of Kaduna State in the early hours of Tuesday.
The arrest came after weeks of intensive surveillance and intelligence gathering by operatives of the Commission.
EFCC Executive Chairman Ola Olukoyede, addressing journalists shortly after the arrest, said Mamman had gone underground following his conviction by the 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 told reporters. “The court convicted him in absentia after agreeing with the Commission that the prosecution had proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The EFCC chairman made clear the Commission intended to ensure the sentence was fully enforced.
“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,” he said. “It is this resolve that made us deploy intelligence to tracking and arresting the convict. We will process his transmission to the Correctional Centre accordingly.”
In his May 7 judgment, Justice Omotosho held that the EFCC had successfully established that Mamman and his associates diverted no less than N22 billion earmarked for the execution of critical power projects. The court further found that the defence had failed to present credible evidence capable of discrediting the prosecution’s case.
The judge condemned the diversion of public funds meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric projects, describing it as a gross abuse of public trust, and noted that the convict had deployed proxy companies and associates to siphon funds meant for critical national infrastructure.
Mamman, who served as Minister of Power between 2019 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, had oversight of Nigeria’s power sector and major hydroelectric projects during his tenure.
Following the conviction, Justice Omotosho ordered that Mamman be produced before the court on May 13, 2026, for sentencing. He failed to appear, prompting the court to proceed in his absence. The judge sentenced him to seven years imprisonment each on Counts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 without the option of a fine; three years on Count 4 with an option of a N10 million fine; and two years on Count 5 without the option of a fine. With the sentences ordered to run consecutively, Mamman faces a total of 75 years behind bars.
His legal troubles do not end there. Mamman is also facing a separate corruption trial before the FCT High Court in Abuja over an alleged N31 billion fraud involving him and seven others. On May 11, 2026, Justice Maryanne Anenih issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for proceedings in that matter.
