The Director-General of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, has been arrested over alleged money laundering and other related financial crimes.
He was apprehended on Wednesday by Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Abdullahi was arrested in Abuja on Wednesday over alleged laundering of over N500 billion, TheCable reports.
He is currently in the custody of the anti-graft agency for further investigation.
Abdullahi was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as the third Director-General of the Commission on October 24, 2023.
Before the appointment, Abdullahi served as Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji. He is a chartered engineer and a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Abdullahi’s arrest came hours after the EFCC secured the conviction of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, in a N33. 8 billion fraud trial.
A federal high court in Abuja sentenced Mamman to 75 years in prison after finding him guilty of all twelve count charges preferred against him by the EFCC.
The presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, ruled that the anti-graft agency proved their case against Mamman beyond a reasonable doubt.
He also issued an arrest warrant for Mamman as he was sentenced in absentia after he refused to appear in court for his trial and his lawyer said he did not know his whereabouts as he had been incommunicado for some time.
Justice Omotosho ordered the police and other concerned security agencies to work with Interpol and ensure that Mamman is arrested.
