Jailed former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman who has been on the run since he was convicted by a Federal High Court was in the early hours of Tuesday, May 19, 2026, arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a hideout in Kaduna.
Mamman was jailed for 75 years after he was found guilty of all charges of financial misappropriation and money laundering preferred against him before the court by the anti-graft agency.
Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, who confirmed the arrest of Mamman, said that he was smoked out from his hiding place at about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Olukoyede said the jailed former minister was apprehended alongside two individuals who were shielding him from facing the law.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, said that the former minister was nabbed in Kaduna State along with two individuals who were purportedly helping him evade capture.
Olukoyede said; “I’m happy to announce to Nigerians that at about 3:30 a.m. this morning, we arrested Mr. Saleh Mamman”.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, last week handed Mamman a 75-year prison sentence in absentia after convicting him on 12 counts connected to money laundering and a ₦33.8 billion fraud scheme.
The misappropriated finances were tied directly to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydropower projects that were being overseen by the Ministry of Power during his tenure.
The EFCC chairman stressed that the arrest was an evidence of the Federal Government’s resolve to combat corruption and retrieve stolen public funds.
According to Olukoyede; “This is a test of the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the fight against corruption in Nigeria and to assure Nigerians that anyone who has dipped into government or national resources will not go unpunished.
“The eagle eye of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will always catch up with you wherever you are hiding,” he stated.
Olukoyede assured Nigerians that the EFCC remains dedicated to pursuing corruption cases involving both government functionaries and private individuals.
He further said; “We are working. There is no area that we will not go into. We will not leave any area untouched just to ensure that we fulfil our mandate. We will uphold our mandate and ensure that everyone, whether private or public, will be investigated and brought to court”.
The EFCC said that the house from where Mamman was arrested has now being placed under investigation.
Mamman served as Minister of Power from August 2019 to September 2021 after he was sworn-into office by former
President Muhammadu Buhari on August 21, 2019 following his screening and confirmation by the Senate.
However, former President Buhari sacked Mamman on September 1, 2021 and was immediately replaced by the then Minister of State for Works and Housing, Abubakar Aliyu.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, sentenced Saleh Mamman to 75 years’ imprisonment for fraud and money laundering involving over 33.8 billion Naira ($24.7 million).
