Crime

EFCC arrests Buhari’s ex-minister over N22bn fraud

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2023

Former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N22 billion fraud.

Mamman served as minister under President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2021.

He was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, May 10 and is being detained at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja.

The Cable reports that it is in connection with investigations into alleged corruption in the execution of some power projects.

Mamman is accused of conspiring with staff of the ministry in charge of the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects to divert N22 billion and share among themselves.

It was gathered that the investigations uncovered properties in Nigeria and overseas allegedly linked to the suspects, while millions of naira and dollars have reportedly been recovered.

Mamman was relieved of his ministerial job by President Buhari in September 2021.

According to a source, the ex-minister has been living at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja for more than three weeks on the bills of some powerful interests in the power sector.

“He has been living permanently at Transcorp Hilton since early August. His bills were being covered by elements in the power sector who were looking forward to more lucrative contracts before the bad news of his dismissal struck yesterday,” the source said.