Makuochi OkaforBBC Africa, Lagos
Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency said it had arrested former energy minister Saleh Mamman, a week after he was sentenced to 75 years in prison for corruption.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Mamman was arrested early Tuesday in the northern state of Kaduna after “weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering.”
In a statement, the agency said the former minister had gone into hiding after being convicted by a court in the capital Abuja earlier this month.
Mamman was convicted of 12 counts related to the embezzlement of funds intended for two hydroelectric projects.
The court ruled that prosecutors had proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt. He was convicted in absentia after failing to appear in court.
His arrest Tuesday marks a rare follow-up in the fight against high-level corruption, with convictions of senior officials uncommon in the West African country.
EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede said authorities were determined to ensure the former minister served his sentence.
“For us, getting the convict to serve his prison sentence is extremely important, given the seriousness with which we fight against corrupt practices,” he said.
The judge who ruled on his case said during the trial that the EFCC had demonstrated that Mamman and his associates embezzled at least 22 billion naira ($14 million; £10 million) intended for critical power projects.
The judge described the misappropriation of public funds as a blatant abuse of public trust and said agent companies and associates had been used to siphon money from the projects.
The former minister was sentenced to multiple prison terms on several counts, which are to run consecutively, bringing his total to 75 years.
He is also facing another corruption trial in Abuja over fraud allegations involving N31 billion. Earlier this month, another judge issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court in the case.
Mamman served as Nigeria’s Minister of Energy between 2019 and 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
His conviction sparked outrage over Nigeria’s ongoing electricity problems, especially since he had promised to improve electricity supplies during his term.
Despite being one of Africa’s largest energy producers, Nigeria still faces frequent power outages and blackouts that affect homes and businesses.
Many people rely on fuel-fired generators to generate electricity, but rising fuel costs make this increasingly difficult.
Learn more about Nigeria from the BBC:
