The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has made public the booking photos of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, after his apprehension by operatives of the anti-graft agency.
Mamman, who was recently found guilty and sentenced by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for financial misappropriation, was picked up in the early hours of Tuesday following weeks of close surveillance by the commission.
In the images distributed by the EFCC, the ex-minister is depicted wearing handcuffs and displaying a booking board post-arrest.
He is presently being held in the commission’s custody ahead of subsequent legal actions.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing held at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, the agency’s chairman, Ola Olukoyede, validated the development.
He revealed that the former minister was nabbed in Kaduna State along with two individuals who were purportedly helping him evade capture.
Olukoyede noted that the premises where Mamman was caught is additionally under investigation by the agency.
“I’m happy to announce to Nigerians that at about 3:30 a.m. this morning, we arrested Mr. Saleh Mamman,” he said.
Just last week, a Federal High Court in Abuja 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 overseen by the Ministry of Power during his tenure.
Olukoyede characterized the arrest as clear evidence of the Federal Government’s resolve to combat corruption and retrieve stolen public funds.
“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,” he said.
“The eagle eye of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will always catch up with you wherever you are hiding,” the EFCC chairman added.
The anti-graft boss went on to assure citizens that the commission remains dedicated to pursuing corruption cases involving both government functionaries and private individuals.
“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,” Olukoyede stated.
“We will uphold our mandate and ensure that everyone, whether private or public, will be investigated and brought to court,” he said.
