A former Nigerian minister convicted of diverting funds meant for electricity projects has been apprehended after weeks in hiding, in what analysts are calling a rare display of accountability in a country where prosecuting high-level corruption often stalls before consequences are felt.
Saleh Mamman, who served as Nigeria’s power minister between 2019 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was picked up in the early hours of Tuesday in the northern Kaduna state by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the agency announced. The arrest came a week after a court in the capital Abuja sentenced him to 75 years in prison — in his absence.
“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,” EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede said, adding that the agency had tracked Mamman through “weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering” before closing in.
Mamman had been found guilty on 12 counts linked to the diversion of public funds earmarked for two hydroelectric power projects. The sentencing judge ruled that prosecutors had proved their case beyond reasonable doubt, and determined that Mamman and his associates had siphoned at least 22 billion naira ($14 million; £10 million) through proxy companies — a scheme the judge described as a gross abuse of public trust. The multiple prison terms, handed down consecutively across the 12 charges, cumulatively amounted to 75 years.
His legal troubles do not end there. Mamman faces a separate corruption trial in Abuja involving allegations of fraud totalling 31 billion naira. Earlier this month, another judge issued a warrant for his arrest after he again failed to appear in court in that case.
The conviction and arrest have deepened public anger over Nigeria’s chronic electricity crisis — a bitter irony given that Mamman had pledged, while in office, to improve power supply across the country. Despite being one of Africa’s largest energy producers, Nigeria continues to suffer frequent blackouts that cripple homes and businesses alike. With fuel costs rising sharply, millions of Nigerians who depend on private generators for electricity are finding that fallback increasingly unaffordable.
Convictions of senior officials are rare in Nigeria, and prosecutions that result in custodial sentences rarer still. The EFCC’s swift pursuit of Mamman following his sentencing has been seen as a signal that authorities may be hardening their resolve — at least in this case — to ensure that powerful figures do not escape the reach of the law.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah