Former Nigerian Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, has been arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N22bn fraud.
Mamman, who served under President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2021, was arrested at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja after appearing for questioning.
The former minister is being investigated for allegedly conspiring with some staff members of the ministry in charge of the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects to divert N22bn and share among themselves.
Properties in Nigeria and overseas allegedly linked to the suspects have been uncovered, and millions of naira and dollars have reportedly been recovered.
Mamman’s arrest is related to the controversial $5.8bn Mambilla Hydro Electric Power project contract to Sunrise Power, which the EFCC launched an investigation into in November 2022.
The project has been hampered by litigation, which the current Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, says is the only problem preventing its commencement.
EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, did not respond to attempts to obtain comment.