Written by: Mohammed Omran

In a significant development in Nigeria's anti-corruption campaign, the Nigerian Anti-Corruption Agency arrested the former energy minister. Saleh MamanDays after a court sentenced him in absentia to 75 years in prison for laundering 33.8 billion naira ($24.65 million).

Former Nigerian energy minister falls in major corruption case

The head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukwede, said that Maman, who had been in hiding since his conviction on May 7, was arrested in the northern city of Kaduna at midnight and is now in custody.

A federal court in Nigeria sentenced former electricity minister Saleh Maman to 75 years in prison after convicting him of money laundering and embezzlement related to government energy projects worth 33.8 billion naira ($24.7 million).

Former Nigerian energy minister arrested after historic 75-year prison sentence

The Federal High Court in Abuja issued the verdict after Maman was found guilty on all 12 charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accused him of diverting funds earmarked for hydroelectric power projects to private companies.

Investigations revealed that the embezzled funds were linked to the Mambila and Zongero hydroelectric power projects, which are among the most prominent electricity infrastructure projects in the country, at a time when Nigeria is suffering from a chronic electricity crisis.

The court said Maman was also convicted of conducting huge cash transactions outside the banking system, including paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to buy properties in the capital, Abuja.

The verdict was issued in absentia after the former minister failed to appear at the trial sessions, while Judge James Omotocho ordered local and international security agencies, including Interpol, to work to arrest him and enforce the sentence.

The anti-corruption commission considered the verdict one of the most significant convictions of a high-ranking government official in Nigeria, amid ongoing criticism of widespread corruption and weak accountability within state institutions. Maman had served as Minister of Power under former President Muhammadu Buhari, during a period marked by repeated promises to reform the energy sector and improve electricity supply.