THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has given details of how its operatives tracked and arrested former minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, in Kaduna State after weeks of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
Apart from Mamman, two persons alleged to have harboured him while he was on the run were also arrested.
Recall that Mamman was convicted on 12 counts of money laundering and N33.8billion fraud linked to the diversion of funds from the Mambilla and Zungeru hydropower projects.
EFCC had since his sentencing in absentia to 75 years imprisonment last week by a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Omotosho, spread its search for the former minister.
It was gathered that the former minister continued to change his phone and use different SIMs, thereby making the tracking difficult until he was eventually tracked through his phone and found in an apartment in the Rigasa area of Kaduna State.
Confirming Mamman’s arrest during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, May 19, Chairman of the Commission, Ola Olukoyede, said the former minister was arrested at about 3:30a.m. in Kaduna.
Olukoyede, while describing the arrest as a demonstration of Federal Government’s resolve to combat corruption, said: “About 14 to 15 months down the line, we secured a conviction on all 12 counts. But because the main defendant was not present, sentencing was shifted.
“On the 13th of this month, he was sentenced in absentia. Since then, we decided to activate our intelligence and surveillance operations, and we have been searching for him all over the place.
“I am happy to announce to Nigerians that about 3:30a.m. this morning, we arrested him somewhere in Kaduna.
“This is a test of the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the fight against corruption.
“It is to assure Nigerians that anyone who has misappropriated government or national resources will not go unpunished.
“The eagle eye of the EFCC will always catch up with you wherever you are hiding. So, it is important for us to let Nigerians know that we are working. There is no area that we will not go into.”
On why the suspect was in EFCC custody, rather than a correctional facility, since he had been sentenced to jail, Olukoyede explained that the arrest was recently effected and procedures for his transfer were underway.
Olukoyede said Mamman was in EFCC custody, pending his transfer to the appropriate correctional facility in line with the court order.
He disclosed that the Commission would review its procedures for monitoring high-profile suspects undergoing trial to prevent them from escaping justice, adding: “For every high-profile case, as a matter of fact, for every corruption case, we must be able to place every defendant under surveillance.
“This is because it is not in the interest of the country for someone who is under criminal trial or prosecution to escape from jurisdiction. So, we are going to look at it. We are going to work with the court.
“We are going to follow all legal and judicial processes to ensure that all potential defendants in criminal cases are placed under surveillance.”
The anti-graft agency’s boss explained that investigations of the two persons arrested alongside the former minister were ongoing and anyone found to have harboured a convicted felon would face the law.
He said the EFCC would expand its investigations to cover additional properties allegedly linked to the convict, as fresh assets had already been discovered.
Also speaking, Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said the court had directed all security agencies to ensure the convict had no hiding place and ordered his transfer to a correctional centre following conviction.
Oyedepo assured that the process of transferring the convict to the correctional centre was ongoing, saying his arrest was a reflection of improved collaboration among security agencies in enforcing court judgments.
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