Fresh details have emerged on how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission tracked down and arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, in Kaduna State after weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance operations.
The anti-graft agency also apprehended two individuals accused of sheltering the former minister while he allegedly evaded arrest.
Mamman was recently convicted on 12 counts bordering on money laundering and fraud involving about N33.8bn linked to the Mambilla and Zungeru hydropower projects.
Sources within the commission disclosed that operatives intensified efforts to locate the former minister shortly after a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced him to 75 years imprisonment in absentia last week.
According to insiders, investigators eventually traced Mamman to an apartment in the Rigasa area of Kaduna through intelligence obtained from his phone records.
One of the sources said the operation followed extensive surveillance mounted by the commission immediately after the court judgment.
“After the judgment was delivered, operatives widened the search for him.
He was eventually tracked to an apartment in Rigasa, Kaduna. Two persons suspected of harbouring him were also arrested,” the source disclosed.
The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, confirmed the arrest during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
He revealed that the former minister was arrested around 3:30 a.m. in Kaduna, describing the operation as a strong signal of the Federal Government’s determination to tackle corruption.
Olukoyede said the commission had continued intelligence operations after the court sentenced Mamman in absentia.
He stated that the arrest demonstrated that individuals accused of diverting public funds would eventually face justice regardless of where they hide.
The EFCC boss further explained that the former minister remained in the commission’s custody pending his transfer to a correctional facility in compliance with the court order.
He added that investigations were ongoing into the two suspects arrested alongside Mamman over allegations that they assisted him while he was in hiding.
Also speaking, Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the court had directed security agencies to ensure the convict was apprehended and transferred to prison custody.
Oyedepo noted that the process of moving the former minister to a correctional centre had commenced, adding that the successful operation highlighted improved collaboration among security agencies.
Meanwhile, Olukoyede disclosed that the commission planned to strengthen surveillance measures on high-profile suspects undergoing trial to prevent future attempts to evade justice.
According to him, the EFCC would work closely with the courts and relevant authorities to ensure defendants in corruption-related cases remained within reach of law enforcement agencies throughout the trial process.
He also hinted that the agency had uncovered additional properties allegedly linked to the convict and would expand investigations into his assets.
The EFCC chairman warned that anyone found aiding or concealing convicted persons would face prosecution in accordance with the law.