The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested a fleeing former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, in Rigasa area of Kaduna State.

Mamman was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, May 19, 2026 following weeks of intensive surveillance and intelligence gathering by operatives of the Commission.

Addressing journalists on the arrest, Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that the former minister went underground after he was convicted by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on corruption charges.

“On May 7, 2026, Justice James Omotosho found Mamman guilty on all 12 counts bordering on diversion of funds meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects. The court convicted him in absentia after agreeing with the Commission that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.

“For us, getting the convict to serve his jail terms is extremely important in view of the seriousness with which we are tackling corrupt practices. It is this resolve that made us deploy intelligence to tracking and arresting the convict. We will process his transmission to the Correctional Centre accordingly”, he said.

Justice Omotosho had, in his judgment, held that the EFCC successfully established that Mamman and his associates diverted not less than N22 billion meant for the execution of critical power projects. The court further held that the defence failed to present credible evidence capable of discrediting the prosecution’s case.

The judge condemned the diversion of public funds earmarked for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric projects, describing the act as a gross abuse of public trust. He also noted that the convict deployed proxy companies and associates to siphon and benefit from funds meant for critical national infrastructure.

Mamman, who served as Minister of Power between 2019 and 2021 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, supervised Nigeria’s power sector and major hydroelectric projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru power projects.

Following his conviction, the court ordered that he be arrested and produced before it on May 13, 2026, for sentencing. However, the convict failed to appear in court on the scheduled date, prompting the court to proceed with sentencing in his absence.

Justice Omotosho subsequently sentenced Mamman to seven years imprisonment each on Counts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 without an option of fine. He was also sentenced to three years imprisonment on Count 4 with an option of N10 million fine and two years imprisonment on Count 5 without an option of fine.

The court further ordered that the sentences run consecutively, bringing the total jail term to 75 years.

Apart from the conviction, Mamman is also facing another corruption trial before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, over alleged N31 billion fraud.

On May 11, 2026, Justice Maryanne Anenih issued a bench warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear for proceedings in the matter involving him and seven others.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has endorsed Yahaya Seriki as his preferred successor ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state under the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

The governor made the announcement in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Announcing his preferred successor, the governor said the decision followed what he described as extensive consultations with party stakeholders and leadership structures across the state.

“Following extensive consultations with party structures and leadership, I am pleased to endorse Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki as my preferred successor under the platform of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the statement read.

The governor described Yahaya Seriki as a youthful and people-oriented politician with strong political mobilisation capacity and widespread grassroots acceptance across the state.

“Young, pro-people, astute, and broad-minded, Amb. Yahaya Seriki has been a great political mobiliser with profound investments in and extensive goodwill among the people of Kwara State.

“I have no doubt about his capacity and that his choice is appropriate for the people of our state at this time,” AbdulRazaq added.

The governor, however, clarified that his endorsement does not invalidate the aspirations of other governorship hopefuls seeking the APC ticket ahead of the party’s primary election slated for Thursday, May 21, 2026.

“While this does not in any way preclude all other aspirants from contesting in the primaries, I urge members and leaders to affirm the choice of Seriki as our candidate for cohesion, unity, and continuous success of the party as we hold our gubernatorial primaries on Thursday, May 21, 2026,” he said.

AbdulRazaq also stressed that the endorsement should not be interpreted as a rejection of other aspirants jostling for the party’s ticket, noting that all contenders possess commendable leadership qualities.

“The choice of Amb. Yahaya Seriki is neither a disapproval of any of our eminently qualified aspirants nor a whimsical attempt to delegitimise the noble aspirations of our people.

“But in a race involving some 16 great minds for one office, only one person can take the shot at a time,” the governor stated.

He further commended the conduct and maturity displayed by the governorship aspirants within the ruling party, praising their commitment to sustaining the achievements of his administration.

“Finally, I acknowledge and commend the statesmanship of our aspirants, all of whom have shown discipline and impressive capacity to build on the undeniable achievements of our administration over the last seven years for the good of the people of Kwara State,” the statement added.

The endorsement is expected to shape the dynamics of the APC governorship primary in the state, with Yahaya Seriki emerging as a leading contender in the race to succeed AbdulRazaq in 2027.

AbdulRazaq, who is expected to complete his constitutionally mandated two-term tenure by 2027, recently participated in the APC senatorial primary for the Kwara Central Senatorial District ticket.

Former Minister of Defence, retired General Theophilus Danjuma, on Tuesday donated N3 billion during the public presentation of the autobiography of former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, in Abuja.

Also lending strong support to the event was Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, who contributed N500 million toward the book launch.

Several prominent business leaders and dignitaries also made notable commitments through the purchase of copies of the book. Among them was Abdul Samad Rabiu, President of the BUA Group, who purchased copies worth N25 million.

The event marked the unveiling of Gowon’s 20 chapter autobiography titled, “My Life of Duty and Allegiance.” It drew an audience of high profile guests, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and top military officers.

The memoir was reviewed by Matthew Kukah, the Catholic cleric, author, and social commentator who has served as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto since 2011.

Danjuma, who served as Chief Presenter at the ceremony, was represented by former Chief of Defence Staff, retired General Martin Luther Agwai.

Beyond his financial contribution, Danjuma also directed that 12 copies of the autobiography be purchased and distributed to the libraries of each of the 20 universities that have awarded honorary doctorate degrees to Gowon over the years.

In a glowing tribute, Danjuma described Gowon as Nigeria’s foremost living statesman, an international icon, and a wartime commander whose leadership helped preserve the country’s unity during one of its most difficult periods.

“Gen. Gowon is not only a household name in Nigeria but also a globally acknowledged leader with an impeccable record in leadership, nation-building and military strategy.

”His well-recorded slogan of ‘no victor, no vanquished’ after the civil war set the tone for an effective post-war policy of reconciliation, reconstruction, and rehabilitation,” Danjuma said.

Reflecting on their longstanding relationship, the retired General revealed that his friendship with Gowon spans more than seven decades, dating back to their childhood in the Wusasa area of Zaria. He described the autobiography as a “treasure trove of history” and a gift to the world.

In the same vein, Mansur Ahmed, representing Dangote, announced the purchase of 25 copies of the book for N500 million in honour of the former Head of State.

Ahmed, a Senior Adviser to Dangote, noted that the billionaire industrialist was only a 10 year old primary school pupil when Gowon was steering Nigeria through one of its most turbulent eras.

According to him, Gowon’s leadership and efforts to keep Nigeria united laid the foundation for the stable environment that enabled Dangote to grow and eventually build a pan African business empire.

North Book