Nigeria Arrests Ex‑Power Minister Saleh Mamman After 75‑Year Corruption Sentence
Nigeria’s anti‑graft agency has arrested former power minister Saleh Mamman, days after a court sentenced him in absentia to 75 years in prison for laundering 33.8 billion naira (US$24.65 million), the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
EFCC chief Ola Olukoyede said Mamman — who had been on the run since his May 7 conviction — was captured in Kaduna during a late‑night operation and is now in custody.
The arrest marks a rare enforcement breakthrough in Nigeria’s long‑running battle against high‑level corruption, where convictions of senior officials are uncommon and follow‑through is often slow.
Olukoyede said Mamman had been “protected” while evading arrest, adding that two additional suspects were detained for harbouring him. Investigators are also examining the property where he was found.
On May 7, a Nigerian court convicted Mamman on 12 counts of corruption and money laundering linked to funds for two government‑backed hydroelectric projects. He received seven‑year sentences on 10 counts, and three‑ and two‑year sentences on the remaining counts, all to run consecutively.