N22bn: EFCC arrests former Power Minister over alleged fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman in connection with an alleged N22 billion fraud.
Mamman, who was minister under President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2021, was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday.
Providing insights into the case against Mamman, sources said he allegedly conspired with officials of the Ministry of Power during his stint as Minister diverting N22 billion, which was shared among themselves.
“From 2017 to date, the former Minister of Power conspired with other staff of the Ministry in charge of the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power Project, diverted over N22 billion, and shared it amongst themselves,” a source said.
The sources said, “Investigations have led to the tracing and identification of properties in Nigeria and overseas, as well as the recovery of millions of naira and USD.”
Investigations are still ongoing over the matter, sources said.
They added that the suspects linked to the case would soon be charged in court.
Mamman was sacked alongside then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, in what the Presidency described as a fallout of the president’s move to “reinvigorate this cabinet in a manner that will deepen its capacity to consolidate legacy achievements.”
Removal of ministers and appointees is generally a rarity under the outgoing administration of President Buhari.
On a few occasions when that happened, it involved massive infractions that were too weighty to overlook.
Members of the public had speculated that the reason for sacking Mamman within two years of his appointment was likely to be more than cabinet reshuffling.
It was gathered that the Minister’s time in office was marked by a poor power supply that has seen slight improvement since his removal.
His arrest on Wednesday comes about 20 months after his removal from office and less than three weeks to the end of President Buhari’s tenure.
