Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the Rigasa area of Kaduna after allegedly going into hiding following his conviction on corruption charges.
The EFCC disclosed that Mamman was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, May 19, 2026, after weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance by operatives of the anti-graft agency.
Speaking on the development, EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said the former minister disappeared after being convicted by the Federal High Court in Abuja over diversion of funds meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects.
According to Olukoyede, Justice James Omotosho, on May 7, 2026, found Mamman guilty on all 12 counts filed against him by the commission.
“The court convicted him in absentia after agreeing with the Commission that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” Olukoyede said.
He added that securing the former minister to serve his prison sentence was important to the commission’s anti-corruption drive.
“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. 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,” he stated.
In his judgment, Justice Omotosho held that the EFCC successfully proved that Mamman and his associates diverted no less than N22 billion earmarked for critical power infrastructure projects, including the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric schemes.
The judge described the diversion of public funds as a gross abuse of public trust, noting that proxy companies and associates were allegedly used to siphon funds intended for national infrastructure development.
Mamman, who served as Minister of Power between 2019 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, oversaw major power projects during his tenure.
Following his conviction, the court ordered that he be produced for sentencing on May 13, 2026, but he failed to appear, prompting the court to sentence him in absentia.
Justice Omotosho subsequently sentenced the former minister to seven years imprisonment each on Counts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 without an option of fine. He also received three years imprisonment on Count 4 with an option of a N10 million fine and two years imprisonment on Count 5 without an option of fine.
The sentences were ordered to run consecutively, bringing the total jail term to 75 years.
Apart from the conviction, Mamman is also facing another trial before the Federal Capital Territory High Court over an alleged N31 billion fraud case.
On May 11, 2026, Justice Maryanne Anenih issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court for proceedings involving him and seven others.
