KEY POINTS
- EFCC arrested Energy Commission DG Mustapha Abdullahi over alleged N701 billion money laundering.
- The funds are linked to the APC Progressive Governors Forum chaired by Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma.
- Former Power Minister Mamman Saleh was separately sentenced to 75 years for N33.8 billion fraud.
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested the director-general of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, Mustapha Abdullahi, over allegations of money laundering tied to N701 billion linked to the ruling APC’s Progressive Governors Forum.
EFCC operatives picked up Abdullahi in Abuja after he twice ignored invitations from the agency. A senior EFCC source confirmed he is in custody and will be questioned over the alleged fraud. “Operatives of the commission went after him after he didn’t honour invitation extended to him and is currently in our custody. The money is to the tune of about N701 billion,” the source said.
President Bola Tinubu appointed Abdullahi as ECN director-general in October 2023. The Energy Commission’s spokesman could not be reached for comment at the time of this report.
The APC governors money trail
The N701 billion probe connects to allegations swirling around PGF Chairman and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma. Sources say the funds may have been approved for distribution among APC governors ahead of the 2027 elections. The disbursement sparked a bitter dispute within the governors’ ranks, with some accusing Uzodimma of misapplying the money while others defended him.
About 18 APC governors backed Uzodimma with a vote of confidence. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, PGF’s vice chairman, played down the tension, calling it a “slight misunderstanding.” A former South-east minister who resigned under forgery allegations is also said to be linked to the investigation.
Saleh bags 75 years for power project fraud
In a separate but connected development, former Power Minister Mamman Saleh was sentenced to 75 years in prison in absentia for laundering N33.8 billion meant for the Mambilla and Zungeru hydroelectric power projects.
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja handed down the sentence, with terms running consecutively across 12 counts. The court also ordered the forfeiture of foreign currencies and four Abuja properties linked to Saleh, plus a refund of outstanding funds from the N22 billion diverted from both power projects.
Omotosho did not mince words. “The sheer greed of the defendant and his comrades in crime is nothing but a downright shameful thing,” he said. Security agencies across Nigeria were directed to arrest Saleh on sight. His sentence takes effect from the date of his arrest.
